Forced Into Seeing Truth
by Allysecrimindfan
Summary: JJ and Morgan are going undercover. Will it bring back old feelings about something that happened in their past? Will they be able to see this case through to the end and stay friends or will it bring them closer than ever? Read and find out... I've had this in my head for a while...
1. Chapter 1

_**Okay I've had this story in my head forever now, and after a few mental tweaks, I'm finally getting it out. Read and review please. That way I know one way or the other if you think it's crap or not. As always… I don't own these characters. Only my love for them.**_

**Forced Into Seeing Truth**

**Chapter 1**

JJ sat her desk in the BAU bullpen reading over the file she had just gone over with her unit chief Aaron Hotchner. She was still fairly new to the profiling game, and was glad that he trusted her enough to work this case so closely. Reading over the case summary for the umpteenth time in her head, she couldn't quite get over the last bullet point on the page. Sure she had told Hotch she was fine with the terms and of the case and that she would do what was expected. It was her job. Her duty, even. But having to go undercover with Derek Morgan was the last thing she expected.

Glancing down at her watch, she saw that the rest of the team would be in at any moment. Hotch had pulled her into work early to go over the fine points. Sighing, JJ closed the file on her desk. She had known Derek for nearly seven years now, and he was one of the best people she knew. Last year though, things shifted for them. She had left the BAU to work for the Pentagon. Not her choice, but she had always managed to keep in close contacts with her friends and then former teammates.

One night, when they had all found themselves out at the bar, a lot of drinks proved to be too much for JJ and Morgan. When she thought back on it her mind was honestly still a little fuzzy about what exactly happened between them. All she knew that when she woke up the next morning, she was in Derek's bed without her clothes. And he lay right beside her, also without his clothes. It was an awkward morning, as neither could remember how they would up that way. There could be only one conclusion though right? It took both of them to finally get to the point where they could work together without it being weird, and they were now in a place where they laughed and joked with each other like they did before.

Hearing Spencer's voice, she was pulled out of her thoughts. "Hey JJ!" He greeted his best friend. "You're in early."

"Yeah I know." She said smiling at him. "I'm just that dedicated."

The rest of the team laughed at their banter and started up to the round table room. JJ looked back to see Derek approaching her desk. He signaled for her to wait up, so she stood until he was standing in front of her. He smiled down at her, and she her body gave an involuntary shiver. He was easily the best looking agent in the building.

"Good morning blondie." He greeted her with his mega-watt smile. "You met with Hotch early I take it?"

JJ paused and bit her lip before answering him. "Yeah, I did." She said automatically lowering her voice. "I take it you already know the case?"

"I do." He said, also lowering his voice. "Are you okay with everything?"

"Do I have a choice?" She asked him with wide eyes.

Derek felt a blush creep across his face, and he was certain she could see it in spite of his darker skin complexion. "JJ.." he started to say. "I only meant…"

"Morgan it's fine." She held up her hand for him to stop talking. "We're fine."

Derek looked at her for a long moment before finally nodding his head. "Okay, then let's get to work."

/

Taking the final two seats at the table with the rest of the team, Hotch motioned for Garcia to start the case presentation. It was about three couples that had all been murdered in their homes. They were all from the same high social backgrounds, and had apparently been seeing a sex therapist. The wives were all stabbed multiple times, and the husbands were shot execution style in the head. It wasn't known if this was the work of one unsub or more.

"These women were stabbed multiple times." Rossi noted going through his file. "That's a lot of rage right there."

"It's also interesting that they were all being counseled in their marriages." Spencer added. "This style of killing speaks to our unsub of being a woman who was maybe jealous of the wives for some reason."

"Maybe they had been having affairs with the husbands." Emily reasoned. "That would certainly explain why the men are all shot execution style."

"I agree." Hotch said. "I think the best way to see what these couple were into is infiltration of their world. Their surroundings." He looked pointed at JJ and Morgan who nodded their agreement.

"So what's the plan then?" Rossi asked noting the looks between the three agents.

"We go undercover." Hotch answered simply.

"And by "we" you mean…?" Prentiss asked

"I mean I already talked with JJ and Morgan, and they will go undercover, and the rest of us will oversee."

The whole team's eyes went wide with surprise. Garcia could not stop the faint gasp that came from her lips. JJ shifted uncomfortably in her chair, and Morgan stood up to join his unit chief.

"So you and JJ will go undercover as what?" Spencer asked. "As a couple?"

Derek frowned at Spencer before answering. "Yes, pretty boy, as a couple." He turned his attention to the whole team, taking note of Garcia's death stare. "Look guys, Hotch is right. The best way to draw this unsub out is to be the kind of target he or she is looking for. Hotch, JJ, and I agree that's this is the best way."

"JJ does match up with victimology as far as what these woman look like. Young, light hair, good looking." Emily reasoned. She laughed when Garcia who was now sitting beside her, gave her a nudge with her elbow.

JJ finally spoke up. "I know this isn't something we normally do as profilers, but I need to know that you all have my back on this case. Derek's too."

"Hey kiddo you have our full support." Rossi assured the young agent.

"Garcia…" JJ looked at her friend.

"Oh you know that I have your backs!" She sighed. "I guess you can borrow my chocolate steed for the greater good."

Everyone laughed at Garcia's dramatic statement, and once everyone was settled back into their chairs, they finished going over the case specifics. Morgan and JJ would pose as a married couple in need of a sex therapist. They would use the same therapist the other couples went to in hopes of connecting the dots to lead them to their unsub. The other team members and Garcia would help in surveillance, and with the transference of information.

"Everyone needs to be on top of their games on this one." Hotch said sternly. "We're only going to have one shot at this, and JJ and Morgan's cover cannot be blown."

"Whatever you need." Rossi said. "We've got an unsub to catch."

Everyone stood up to leave the roundtable room, and Morgan and JJ stayed behind to talk with Hotch. He looked at his agents as if trying to read them. Profile them. Morgan was one of the best on his team. He was highly skilled in almost every aspect of being in the FBI. He never said it, but he trusted Derek Morgan with his life. Jennifer Jareau had been a part of his team in more than one aspect for seven years. When she was made to transfer to the Pentagon, he had been at a loss. As the team's media liaison, she had played a vital role in catching lots of serial killers and keeping the press at bay. When she came back to the BAU he was more than thrilled that she had decided to take the necessary classes to become a profiler. Her new role as part of this team was more important now more than ever, and he knew that she would do what it took in any case they had to bring justice to the victims.

"We'll get you two set up, and begin working the case." He paused. "Is everything okay? Do you two have any questions of me?"

JJ was the first to speak up. "It's fine Hotch. Really. Derek and I are good."

"Yeah Hotch, let's get to work." Morgan agreed.

Morgan watched as Hotch and JJ headed back out into the bullpen. His mind couldn't help but flash back to last year. He told JJ that he didn't remember what had happened between them The truth was though, that he remembered every moment. He remembered every kiss. Every touch. Most of all he remembered waking up the next morning, and finding JJ next to him. He hadn't remembered at first, but as the events of that night came back to him, he found himself allowing his mind to go back to that night.

Shaking his head, Derek followed JJ and Hotch. He had to focus on this case. But at the same time, he wanted her to remember that night like he did. Maybe them working so closely together like this would bring back memories. Or feelings. Were there feelings to bring back? I guess they would both find out very soon….

/

_**I hope you liked that first chapter. Please read and review. xo**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thank you too Olitznluv, aoife malloy, Lenika08, zzz=zzz84, Cat, velizara95, EllieBeann, sweetgirl23, sugarhigh9394 for the reviews and kind words. I hope you all like this chapter too! (Will doesn't exist in this story right now)**_

**Chapter 2**

JJ took one last look around her loft. After this morning's case brief she and Derek had been allowed to go to their respective homes to gather some clothes and personal items. Them going undercover together also meant them living together. Hotch had already told them about the residence that's sometimes used as a front for the bureau and its agents. She couldn't help the flurry of butterflies that she felt in her stomach. Before leaving the BAU to come back to her place Prentiss and Garcia both expressed their feelings on the case. Penelope couldn't help the pangs of jealousy that came through in her voice, and Emily was just happy it wasn't her that had to go under with Morgan.

Grabbing her purse and keys, she headed out to meet up with Hotch and Derek. The neighborhood was right in the district so it didn't take long to get to. She followed Hotch's directions to the fairly new and well-to-do street. She took a mental note of some of the residents walking around. A lot of younger couples. A lot of beautiful people. JJ glanced at herself in the rearview mirror. Had she made a mistake? Was she sure that she was going to be up for this? Pulling into the driveway behind Derek's Jeep, she knew that they were all about to find out very soon.

"Alright JJ, it's time to get your head in the game." She muttered to herself before slipping on her sunglasses and exiting the car. Feeling eyes on her, she turned her head slightly and saw a young woman across the street looking at her. JJ flashed the woman a smile and confidently began up the walk up to the front door. She would let Hotch and Morgan know about the woman right away.

Aaron and Derek had been talking in the kitchen when they heard the front door open. They were waiting until she got their before going into anything too in depth about the case. Most of the fine pints had been worked out when they were all still at the BAU that morning. Walking out of the kitchen, they met JJ in the living room.

"Hotch this place is pretty amazing." JJ remarked. "This belongs to the bureau?"

"It does." Hotch confirmed. "I don't have to tell you two that Chief Strauss is adamant about this place being left exactly how it was found."

Morgan laughed and shook his head. "Tell Strauss that JJ and I will try not to throw too many wild parties while we're here."

JJ's eyes got very wide as Derek looked her way after that remark. She knew that he was just kidding, but she couldn't help but wonder if his mind flashed to the last time they partied that hard.

"Hey guys before I forget," JJ said, "There was this woman across the street when I pulled up. She looked very intrigued as to who I was."

"I'm sure these nosy people are just itching to find out who the neighbors are." Morgan added.

"And it's up to you two to give them what they want." Hotch affirmed. "We want these people to feel comfortable around you."

"Yeah we got it Hotch." Morgan said.

"You two know that all of us are just a phone call away if you need anything right?"

JJ and Morgan both nodded their heads. The three of them walked outside, and Hotch made a big production of taking the realty sign that said "SOLD" out of the front yard. He shook JJ's hand then Morgan's. He put the sign in the back of his SUV, climbed in and drove away, leaving agents to wave goodbye. The two stood out front until Hotch's SUV disappeared around the corner. They both silently took in the scene before them. Morgan's eyes landed on a beautiful lady across the street staring at him and JJ. He flashed his trademark grin, and turned to JJ.

"There's your girl at my three o'clock. Let's go in, because unsub or not, she's starting to creep me out."

"Yeah come on." JJ said smiling up at him. She felt Morgan reach for her hand, and tensed up ever so slightly. "Sorry about that. Guess it's time to keep up appearances." She relaxed and squeezed his hand as the ambled back into the big house.

Once inside the house he let her hand go. He looked down at her, and grinned. She was so beautiful, and she didn't even know it. She walked ahead of him and into the kitchen. He followed her, and watched as she rummaged through the refrigerator until she pulled out two bottles of water. She slid one across the counter for him to catch.

"Thanks Jayje." He said. He took a deep breath before speaking again. "JJ this morning, you said that you were okay with all of this…"

"And I meant it Derek." She said cutting him off. "This is work, and whatever happened or didn't happen between us last year can't matter right now."

"Fair enough." He replied nodding his head. "Just know if you ever do want to talk about it, then I'm right here. Literally."

"I know that. Now just isn't the time."

"Okay Pennsylvania, let's try and piece together some information about what we know and need to know about the folks in this hood."

"Yeah let's start with the lady that looks like she could eat us both alive from across the street." JJ said laughing.

"Then we need to go out and try and make nice. Get a feel for who we need to watch out for so we can get Garcia to run backgrounds."

"Speaking of PG, you know she is going crazy knowing that you're going to have these woman drooling all over you."

"She knows she's my girl. Maybe she's worried that you're going to be drooling all over me." He couldn't help driving JJ a little nuts.

"When did I ever drool all over you Derek Morgan?" she asked indignantly. She clammed up however, when she realized they both probably knew the answer to that question.

After a somewhat uncomfortable silence, Morgan cleared his throat. "I'm going to give Garcia a call to check in. To make this believable maybe you should go outside and pretend to be annoyed with me already."

"That shouldn't be a problem." JJ said as she headed out the front door.

Case or not, JJ was definitely curious about this quiet neighborhood. She walked down to the driveway and turned back to look up at the house that was temporarily hers and Derek's. Removing her sunglasses she took in the brick architecture and lush lawn. This a was a far cry from her loft! She looked down at the fake wedding ring she wore on her left hand and shook her head. She leaned against Derek's ridiculously clean Jeep, and crossed her arms.

To be honest, she really wasn't sure about how she was supposed to draw the attention of the right people to crack this case. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander. Her mind flashed to last year….

*FLASHBACK*

_JJ tried to open her eyes, but they felt as though they had been nailed shut. She opened her mouth, and it felt like it was stuffed with cotton. "I have got to stop drinking like that." She said to herself._

_She pulled the pillow tight against her head, and realized something didn't feel right. Opening her eyes against the harsh morning sun, she realized she wasn't wearing any clothes. Trying to clear her foggy brain, she rolled over onto her back and immediately came into contact with something._

"_What the hell…?" She asked in a complete daze. Her room usually wasn't this bright in the morning. She practically jumped out of her skin when she realized that the body she had just rolled into was the one and only Derek Morgan. A quick peek under the covers realized her worst fear. He wasn't wearing any clothes either. He was snoring softly, and JJ quickly tried to collect her thoughts and piece together how they could've ended up like this. It was like she couldn't get her brain to work though. Cursing silently, she shifted in bed so they weren't so close. She scanned the room in hopes of locating her clothes so she could put them on and bolt. _

_All of the sudden his arm was around her. With his face still buried in his pillow, he asked "Hey where you going?" His voice was muffled, and JJ knew he was probably still half sleep._

_She gently picked his arm up off of her and shook his shoulder. "Derek wake up." She whispered._

_Derek rolled over to face her while saying, "Baby, why are you aw…?" His jaw dropped when he came face to face with Jennifer Jareau! "Oh my god, JJ!"_

_He sat up in bed, wide wake now. "What the hell are you doing here?"_

"_Hey I don't know how we in your bed together!"_

"_I remember us all drinking last night. Drinking a lot, but after that…" His voice trailed off._

JJ was pulled out of her thoughts by another voice.

"Hello! Excuse me." The voice called.

JJ looked around and saw that it was the woman from across the street now approaching her. JJ straightened herself up and smiled widely as the woman got closer.

"Hello there." she said warmly. "I didn't want to intrude, but you had been standing out here for a while. I thought I'd come over and introduce myself."

"It's fine. I just needed some air is all."

"My name is Chelsea. I live across the street." She said pointing to the large brick home.

"I'm Jennifer." JJ said extending her hand for Chelsea to shake. "This neighborhood is beautiful."

"Thank you, it has its moments though." She replied off handedly. JJ had to wonder if she was referring to the three couples that had been murdered.

"I'm sure Derek and I will grow to love it." She said sweetly.

"Oh! Your husband right?" JJ nodded her response. "He is gorgeous dear!"

"I could do worse." JJ said jokingly.

Chelsea took a step closer to JJ and lowered her voice. JJ masked her discomfort though. "You know honey," She said placing a hand lightly on JJ's shoulder. "You're not so bad yourself either."

JJ looked at the her new neighbor as she took a step back and smiled slyly. "Thanks, you're too kind." She said.

"So if you don't mind my asking, why in the world are you standing out here all by yourself instead of in there with that Greek god of a husband? You two should be christening every room in the house right now!"

"Yeah, this house is sort of a fresh start for Derek and I." JJ replied without giving too much away. "We're kind of taking things one day at a time right now."

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that such a young gorgeous couple is having troubles."

"Thanks for your concern."

The woman pulled a business card out of her back pocket, and handed it to JJ. "I can help you both out with any problems you might be having." She turned to go back to her house. "I'm just a phone call away Jennifer. And don't worry! I'm licensed and discreet!"

"Good to know…" JJ flipped the card over in her hand. She watched as Chelsea went back into her house. JJ walked back up the driveway and into the house. Derek was just hanging up his phone.

"Anything to report Jayje?" he asked.

JJ held up the business card. "I think I just got our first real lead Morgan."

"Alright let's call it in." he replied.

JJ watched as he dialed Hotch's number with the business card she had just given him from her new friend and neighbor. Things were about to get very interesting indeed….

/

_**Thank you again for those who have read and reviewed. I love the follows too, but reviews are motivation for me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Things are about to get very interesting…**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thanks to everyone who has read and REVIEWED for me! The favorites and follows are cool too! I hope you like this next chapter!**_

**Chapter 3**

JJ stretched and let out a yawn as she closed the last file that sat in front of her. She, Morgan, and Prentiss had spent the better part of the night piecing together information in the hopes of building a profile. She had suggested that Emily come over and that they order a pizza while they work. She just wasn't sure how she felt about being alone this first night with Derek, and thought that if Emily were there to help them go over some things, then there would be less weirdness. She was wrong.

Derek collected the empty pizza boxes and drinking glasses to take them into the kitchen. It was getting late, and he and JJ needed to try and get some sleep. They were both going to have to put on a hell of a show in this neighborhood if they wanted everyone to believe that they were a couple trying to get their marriage back on track. He got the sense that JJ was nervous so he hung in the kitchen cleaning up so the ladies could talk.

_In the living room…_

"So JJ are you sure that this is the only way we can all crack this case?" Emily asked her friend. "With you and Morgan going undercover like this."

"It may not be the only way, but I honestly think this way gives us our best chance at doing so." JJ replied.

"You just seem a little off though." Prentiss was obviously concerned about her teammate.

"It's fine Emily. Just nerves, I guess."

Emily regarded her friend for a moment before answering. There was definitely something JJ wasn't saying.

"If you say so JJ. I know this isn't an easy assignment, so just try to relax okay?"

"I will. I am." She promised just as Morgan walked back into the room.

Emily looked at her friends and co-workers as she headed towards the front door. "You two call any of us if you need anything. Just get out there tomorrow and try to make some connections and keep us all in the loop."

"We will Emily." Derek said. She hugged them both before heading to the driveway and into her car. When backing her car out she made a mental note of the shadowy figure standing in the window of the house across the street.

/

Back inside the house Morgan looked at JJ as she boxed up the rest of the files that had been out. In case of unexpected house guests they had to make sure that nothing was in plain sight. She stood up and stretched her arms up over her head, and he couldn't help but notice her tan skin as her shirt road up ever so slightly. He quickly looked down at the ground when she turned to him.

"We should get some sleep Derek." JJ said matter of factly.

"You're right." He replied nodding his head. "You can have the master bedroom. I'll take one of the guest rooms."

"Thank you." She said quietly. They climbed to stairs up to the second floor in silence.

JJ stopped at what would be her room for the time being, and Derek stopped with her.

"I guess this is me." She said.

"I'll be right down the hall if you need me." He said to her. "Let's try and be up and moving at a decent time in the morning."

"Sure thing Morgan."

"Well…" he was hesitating, and he wasn't sure why. "Goodnight JJ."

"Goodnight."

Morgan stared at the closed door for almost a full minute before continuing down the hall to his own room. Closing the door, he let out a loud sigh. He pulled off his t-shirt and sat down on the bed. It was going to be a long night. He flipped on the TV in the hopes diverting his thoughts from the gorgeous blonde sleeping down the hall from him. He knew that they both had a very important job to do, and that meant the both of them focusing on the task at hand. Peoples' lives depended on it. He would try and talk too JJ when this case was closed.

/

JJ sat down on the giant California king sized bed, and looked around the room. She still couldn't believe that this house belonged to the FBI, and that she and Morgan were staying in it. She thought about the look in his eyes before she had said goodnight and closed the bedroom door. She wouldn't admit it to him, but she knew that look all too well. She knew that he had wanted to come in the room with her. Maybe just to talk. Maybe to do more than that. As much as she hated to admit it, she didn't trust herself to be alone with Derek Morgan in a bedroom like this.

Her mind wandered to that fateful night a year ago. She wondered if he remembered just like she did. Maybe that's why he keeps looking at her like he does, and asking if she's okay. Or maybe he was just a concerned friend and team member, and wanted to make sure that she wasn't in over her head in attempt to prove herself as a profiler. Groaning in aggravation, JJ clicked off the light and got into bed. She and Derek had a long day ahead of them no doubt. They all did, but the two of them had to establish contact. She closed her eyes, and tried to shut off her brain, which had been on overload all day. There was no turning back now.

/

The smell of coffee hit JJ's nose before she even opened her eyes. Stretching, she sat up in bed. For a split second she forgot where she even was, then it hit her as she took in her surroundings. Putting two and two together, she realized Derek was probably downstairs making coffee. It was Saturday morning, so there was no fake work for either of them to go off to today. JJ pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms to go with the tank she was wearing. Assuming she looked presentable enough, she headed downstairs. She could hear him moving around in the kitchen, and couldn't help the smile that crept across her face. She stopped in the entryway, and took in the sight of Derek Morgan.

He too wore pajama bottoms and a tank top. But she swore she could see every muscle flex when he moved. For a split second, a vision of the two of them in bed flashed through JJ's mind. At this point she didn't know if it was an actual memory or thought. Did it matter? Just as she was about to say good morning he turned around to face her.

"Oh hey blondie, I didn't see you there." he greeted her with a smile.

_God, he was hot!, her mind screamed_. "Good morning Derek." She said out loud. "Coffee smells great."

"You're just in time." He poured them both cups of hot coffee and sat the cream and sugar out for her.

She loved that he knew how she took her coffee. That comes from years of working with each other and being friends with each other. She watched as he toasted some bagels and sat out cream cheeses, and finally some pieces of fruit so that they could get some actual breakfast ingested before diving into the task at hand.

"So I figured we should try use this morning to gain visibility of our surrounding neighbors. See if we can draw anyone suspicious out." Morgan began.

"I agree." JJ said nodding her head. "Although I gotta say that Chelsea from across the street is looking for good for at least being a part of this."

"I think you're right, which is why when she sees us outside she won't be able to resist coming over here."

"Why do you say that?" She was intrigued.

"Let's just say that when I'm at home, and I'm washing the Jeep without a shirt on, my lady neighbors make it a point to walk their dogs past me many, many times."

JJ laughed. "I see where you're going with that."

"So let's shower up and get moving girl!"

"Right away, SSA Morgan!" JJ said jokingly.

/

Thirty minutes later they were both dressed and back downstairs. JJ wore a simple sun dress that showed off her tan, and Derek work a tank top and cargo shorts. JJ decided on a simple sundress and sandals. They both knew that running into the neighbors was inevitable, and wanted to look their best. JJ watched as Morgan grabbed the keys to his Jeep and headed outside.

"So you're actually going to go out and wash your car?" She asked him.

"Damn right." He said laughing. She followed him out the door and watched as he unraveled the hose that was on the side of the house.

It was a bright and sunny day, and she noticed right away that the neighbors were out across the street as well as some other folks walking dogs. She looked back at Derek who had now removed his shirt and started spraying off his Jeep.

"Might as well give them a show." He said winking at JJ.

"Sure, right…" Her voice trailed off as she took in his muscular body. She let her mind flash back for a second to the night they hooked up. Shaking her head to snap herself out of it, she noticed Chelsea approaching. She shot another quick look at Derek and walked to the end of the driveway to meet the other woman.

"Good morning Jennifer!" Chelsea said flashing JJ a bright smile.

"Hi Chelsea. How are you today?"

"Oh I'm great!" She nodded her head over at Derek who was busily soaping up his Jeep. "He is quite the catch, isn't he?"

"That he is." She waved to Derek so he could take a break and come say hello.

"Derek, I want you to meet Chelsea." JJ said. "She lives across the street."

Morgan dried off his hands and flashed the woman his best smile. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Yes it is." She replied. She gave him a quick glance up and down and repeated. "Yes it is."

JJ eyed the woman for a moment, and gave Derek a look. Chelsea noticed the exchange, and just as JJ thought, she thought that the woman was sensing some jealousy on JJ's part.

"Well Derek, we won't keep you from your task, but it was very nice meeting you!" The two shook hands again. "I'm sure we'll be getting to know you and Jennifer very well very soon!"

"Count on it." He said before going back to washing is car.

JJ walked with Chelsea back to the sidewalk when the woman stopped midstride to look at JJ. She regarded her before she spoke, which sent a slight chill down JJ's spine.

"Jennifer, my husband Dan and I are hosting a gathering tomorrow that you and Derek simply must come to!"

"Oh that's nice." JJ said politely. "I appreciate the invite. It's tough being the new kids on the block."

"Don't worry about it dear! We'll make you both feel right at home in no time. Just come on over around six."

"Can we bring anything?"

"Just your gorgeous selves!" And with that she floated back across the street to her house.

JJ watched the woman until she was tucked back inside her own home. She walked back over to Derek who was now drying the Jeep off. He stopped when JJ reached him though.

"So what are thinking JJ?" he looked into her blue eyes as if trying to read them.

"Well she definitely likes you!" she replied shaking her head.

"Really?!" he said feigning surprise. "I'm pretty sure she's into both of us if you know what I mean."

"Yeah maybe." She ran a hand through her blond hair. "She's probably watching us right now." She shot a quick glance across the street.

"So what? You wanna give her a show or something?" he asked raising his eyebrows.

JJ could feel her cheeks turn red at his suggestion. "No not just yet. How about we just go inside. Leave things up to her imagination."

"Lead the way."

JJ felt his hand on her back as he ushered her through the front door. He put his shirt back on and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge before following JJ into the living room.

"So what were you ladies talking about out there?" he asked plopping down on the sofa.

"Our friendly neighbor Chelsea invited us to a party she and her husband are having tomorrow."

"Nice. Sounds like that's our in." Derek said. "I'll call Hotch and let him know."

"Make sure they're close by in case we need something."'

"I will." He said dialing their unit chief's phone number.

JJ half listened to Morgan as he updated Hotch. The wheels in her head were turning as she thought about tomorrow evening. She knew that the two of them had to be on top of their game in a social setting with these people. She also knew that her and Derek would have to be convincing in their roles as a couple who are having some troubles. If they could connect the deaths in this neighborhood to someone close, then that would better their chances at catching the unsub.

/

Later that night as Derek and JJ had combed through more case files her phone started to ring. It was Spencer.

"Hey what's up Spence?" She asked.

"JJ, Emily and Rossi are on their way over there right now. There's been another body discovered."

Morgan looked at JJ and raised his eyebrows at the look on her face. "What's going on?" he whispered.

JJ held up her hand. "Okay Spence. Got it." She hung up and looked at Morgan. "Another body was discovered Derek. Emily and Rossi are on their way here right now."

"This is not good. Our unsub is escalating, and we don't have a good suspect yet."

"Which why we need to get closer to our party goers tomorrow night. Hopefully something will stick."

/

Chelsea watched through the window as a brunette woman and older gentleman go into Derek and Jennifer's home. She recognized the woman from last night, but the man she had not seen before. She smiled to herself as she thought about the party she and her husband were hosting tomorrow. Those two were sure to fit in nicely. Just then she was pulled out of her thoughts by a voice.

"What are you looking at dear?"

Still smiling, Chelsea turned to face her husband Dan. "Oh nothing sweetheart."

"Really?" he asked. "So you're not trying to spy on our new neighbors?"

"You caught me." She said with a chuckle as her he wrapped his arms around her waist. "They're perfect, aren't they?"

"Yes they are." He agreed.

Dan looked at the house across the street over his wife's head. He made a mental note of making sure he had everything set for tomorrow night. He wanted all of their guests, especially the new ones, to have a good time.

/

JJ boxed up the files after Rossi and Prentiss left. With the discovery of a new body they wanted to make sure they didn't miss anything. She turned around after putting the last box away to see Derek looking at her from the doorway. She smiled at him, and he smiled back. She wouldn't admit it to him, but she considered herself very lucky to have him in her life, and to be working this case closely with him. She trusted him completely.

"We need to call it a night Agent Jareau." He said. "Big day tomorrow."

"I was just thinking that." She replied with a laugh. She let out a yawn and stretched her arms over her head. "What are you staring at?"

"Nothing." He cleared his throat and started up the stairs. "I'm headed to bed. It's your turn to make the coffee in the morning, by the way."

"Yeah, because you love my coffee!"

"I do. It's the most bitter, yet, sweet tasting stuff on the planet!"

JJ followed him up the stairs, and stopped when she got to her room. She slowly turned around and looked up at him. She looked at him without saying anything, and Morgan looked down at her with concern.

"You look worried Pennsylvania." He said. "What's up?"

"It's nothing I just…" She trailed off. "Derek after the case…"

"Yeah?"

"After this case is over I think we should talk."

JJ let out an audible sigh of relief when he didn't ask what she wanted to talk about. She was certain they both knew what the subject matter of that conversation would be.

"After the case?"

"Yeah I just…" She hesitated again. "I don't want to get into it, so yeah. After the case."

"Alright JJ." He agreed "Whatever you want." He reached up to brush a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

"Get some sleep okay." He said moving his hand away from her. "We have a big day tomorrow."

"We do." She agreed. "I'll see you in the morning Derek."

She quietly shut the door and leaned against it. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she slid down until she was sitting on the floor. She put her head in her hands rubbed her temples. Was she really ready for this? Was she ready to do whatever it took to break this case? And was she ready to do those things with Derek Morgan? As much as she tried to push what happened between them last year to the back of her mind, she couldn't help but think about it now more than ever! There was no going back though. Not now…

_**Thanks for reading! Party with the neighbors will be the next chapter! Don't forget to review please! **_


	4. Chapter 4

_**I hope you all are enjoying this story! Thanks to all who have read and reviewed! It makes my day so much brighter!**_

**Chapter 4**

The next day proved to be a busy one for the BAU. With another body being discovered they all were working hard to keep another murder from happening again! JJ and Morgan were to be at the neighbors' house tonight, and they all were hoping it would give them a break in this case that they needed! They all decided it would be best to work in the office today. Plus it would give the appearance to outsiders that JJ and Derek both had to go to work that day.

Morgan stood after Hotch finished briefing the team with the latest case details. "JJ and I should get going you guys."

"You're right." Rossi agreed. "You two kids have a party to get to later."

"Just make sure that you both are careful." Prentiss cautioned. "You'll be outnumbered, but we'll be close by if you end up needing any backup."

"Emily is right." Hotch confirmed. "Don't take any unnecessary risks."

"We won't." JJ promised the team.

They all walked out of the roundtable room, and Garcia gave Morgan and JJ both hugs before they got onto the elevator. She and Morgan stayed silent until the elevator stops on the parking garage level. She can feel her anxiety rising, and she's not sure why. The sound of his voice soon breaks the silence.

"You okay?" he asked with concern. "You're pretty quiet."

"I'm good." She assured him with a half-smile. "Just doing some mental preparation for later on."

"It'll be fine."

"Let's hope so. The way Chelsea looks at both of us enough to question what her husband the their friends might be like."

Morgan let out a small chuckle. "True that!" He opened the passenger side door of his Jeep for her to climb in and closed it once she was seated.

They drove to their temporary home in amicable silence. Morgan pulled into the driveway and cut the Jeep's engine. He made a move to get JJ's door for her, but she held out her hand to stop him.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Nothing." She said. "It's just now that we're here you don't want to make yourself look like some kind of knight in shining armor. They might be watching."

"Right." He agreed, nodding his head. "I'll see you inside." And with that, he hopped out of the Jeep and strolled into the house.

JJ sat in her seat for about thirty seconds, and glanced in the side view mirror. She could just make out a shadowy figure across the street that seemed to be gazing her way. She took a mental note and slowly opened the door to the Jeep. She made a big production of grabbing her purse and checking herself in the reflection of the window once she closed the car door. In less than two hours she and Derek would be mingling with those people. She went inside the house to get ready.

/

JJ was just putting the final touches on her make-up when she heard a soft knock at her bedroom door. Knowing it would be Morgan, she gave herself one final glance in the mirror and opened the door. She blushed when he gave a low whistle and flashed his killer smile at her.

"You look gorgeous JJ." Morgan complimented her.

"And you look very handsome Derek." She returned.

"You ready to do this?" he asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Once we're inside, lets survey the room and the players we have to work with."

"Got it." JJ said.

"And remember, we have to keep up appearances."

"I know. It'll be fine."

"Alright then, let's go."

They walked out of the house and locked the front door. They both noted the black van parked up the block, and knew that it was Hotch and Prentiss waiting in case anything crazy happened. JJ shot Derek a quick glance as they made their way across the street and up to the front door of their neighbors' house. He squeezed her hand briefly in a show of support and reached up to ring the doorbell.

"Jennifer! Derek!" Chelsea exclaimed with a flourish. "So glad you two could make it!" She took a step back so her guests could step into the house.

"Thanks again for having us." JJ said graciously.

"Derek, it's nice to see you again." Chelsea said. "You two look great. Come in and meet everyone."

The two agents followed their hostess through the hallway and into the room everyone was mingling. Sizing up the room rather quickly, Morgan noted that it was a rather small crowd. Chelsea and her husband, then maybe three other couples besides he and JJ. Everyone was drinking and laughing but turned their attention to the newbies who had just entered the room to join them. Chelsea walked up to her husband.

"Honey come and meet our special guests." She said. "This is Jennifer and her husband Derek."

"Ah yes, the house across the street." He said smiling. "It's nice to meet you both. Welcome to our home."

JJ and Derek both shook hands with their host. "It's nice to meet you Dan." JJ quipped.

"Thank you for the invite." Derek continued. "Nice digs you have here."

Just then Chelsea clinked the wine glass she was now holding. "Everyone!" she said, her voice rising slightly.

"Everyone say hello to our new neighbors Jennifer and Derek!" She raised her glass in the air. "Let's make them feel welcome, shall we?"

JJ blushed at the attention, but smiled at everyone. _What the hell is wrong with these people?, she thought to herself. _The group seemed rather friendly, and pretty soon she and Derek had drinks in their hands, and had been properly introduced to everyone.

"Alright people!" Dan shouted with a beer in his hand. "This is a party! Let's act like it!"

Meanwhile…

Emily turned to her unit chief from her position in the passenger seat of the van she sat in. They had been parked for nearly an hour, and all seemed to be okay with their fellow agents.

"What do you think is going on in there?" Prentiss asked.

"It's hard to say." Hotch said. "It seems pretty tame whatever it is. I'm sure JJ and Morgan are fine."

He turned back to look at Emily when she didn't answer right away. He noticed that her dark eyebrows were furrowed.

"What's the look Emily?"

"It's nothing, I just…" her voice trailed off. "JJ seems slightly more on edge than she should be these past few days."

Hotch seemed to ponder Emily's statement for a moment, then he responded.

"Maybe so." He said. "This is her first big case. It can't be easy for her."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Emily agreed, but didn't seem quite convinced.

They went back to watching the house their colleagues were in at the moment, hoping that everything was going okay.

/

Morgan and JJ made fast friends with the neighbors and various party goers. It was now apparent to both he and JJ that the Chelsea character has seemed to "help" all of these couples in some manner. It seemed more like sexual thing, as everyone was more than friendly with each other. Every time Chelsea or one of the other woman at the party got close to him, he found a reason to regain his personal space. JJ couldn't quite hide her discomfort though. The guys at the party made no secret of trying to hit on her, and he had to admit to himself that it made him jealous. But then JJ was a gorgeous, technically single woman! He was brought out if his thought when Chelsea appeared with yet another bottle of wine.

"Everyone ready for refills?" She said in an overly sexy voice. She looked pointedly at Derek then to JJ.

"Actually.." JJ started. "Your bathroom?"

"Down the hall and to your left honey." Dan offered, brushing his hand on her shoulder. The touch didn't go unnoticed by Morgan.

"Thank you." JJ said smiling back at her host. She looked at Derek. "I'll be right back."

He nodded at her, knowing she would spend a few minutes taking a look around if she could. Just then Chelsea wrapped her serpent like arms through his.

"Are you having a good time honey?" She asked. "This isn't overwhelming, is it?"

"It's fine." He assured her. He wanted to be a gracious guest. He accepted another glass of wine, and kept his eyes peeled for when JJ would resurface. A few more minutes went by, and she still hadn't returned to the party. He was starting to worry, and wondered if he should go and look for her. Just as he stood up and put his glass down, Dan did the same.

"That gorgeous wife of yours must have got lost Derek." He said winking. "I'll go look for her for you."

Before Morgan could protest the man was off, and he could do nothing but wait there and hope for the best.

"Don't worry love." Chelsea said from behind him. He turned around to face the woman. "Your wife is in good hands. Trust me."

But he didn't trust her. Not for a second, and he swallowed hard he thought of JJ alone with that creep.

"Hey Derek!" one of the party goers shouted to him. "Don't be jealous man! Dan chases after all the pretty girls."

This did not make him feel better. Just as he was about to take off down the hallway to find JJ, she appeared with Dan's arm draped around her shoulders. _I'm going to kill him, Derek thought to himself_.

"Look who I found!" Dan sang out happily. He squeezed JJ to his side.

Morgan made eye contact with JJ who gave him a slight nod in return. All he could think about was getting this guy as far away as humanly possibly from JJ. His blood was literally starting to boil! If JJ had information, then he needed to get her alone to get it. Hell, even if she didn't he had to get her away from Dan. He knew what he had to do. He just hoped she knew too. Clearing his throat, he untangled himself from Chelsea and crossed the few feet where Dan and JJ had stopped in the room. He gave the man a tight smile and cleared his throat as he turned his attention back to his "wife". Partner? Whatever…

"Jennifer…" Morgan started. "A word please?"

"Uh oh!" Another party goer sneered. "I sense some jealousy!"

Ignoring the comment, JJ nodded her head, keeping her eyes on Derek. She pulled Dan's arm off of her, and looked at him sweetly. She wordlessly let Derek lead her into the far corner of the room. They both knew they had an audience at this point. JJ looked down at her arm where Morgan still held on to her. She was having trouble reading him, at that scared her a bit.

"Are you okay?" he whispered.

"Yeah, I am." She looked up at him with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Me?..." He shook his head as if to clear it.

JJ looked briefly over Derek's shoulder, and saw that Dan had a smirk on his face, and that some of the others were obviously talking about her and Morgan. Perhaps waiting for an argument to erupt between them. They need to give their audience something. She looked back up into Derek's piercing brown eyes.

"Derek.." She whispered. He just stared down at her. He needed to get them out of this house. She seemed to sense what he was feeling. He leaned in close so that his mouth was practically touching her ear. And her breath hitched in her throat when he whispered her name.

"Morgan…" She reached up and grabbed the lapels of his sport coat with both hands so he would look at her. "Just do it already."

She felt him finally let go of her arm only to have his hand cup the side of her face. Before she could react his mouth was on hers. Even though she had known it was coming, she couldn't help but be taken by surprise. She could hear the hoots and catcalls from the others in the room. Morgan would not be deterred though. He kissed her almost roughly, running his tongue along JJ's bottom lip so that she would open her mouth. She finally did, and he deepened the kiss, their tongues battling one another. _This is crazy, she thought to herself_.

About thirty more seconds passed with Derek practically mauling her in front of these people when all of the sudden he pulled away. There was an audible hiss in the room from the crowd, as they were disappointed the free show had come to an end. JJ tried to control her breathing, and Morgan stared down at her not saying one word.

"Well now…" Chelsea's voice floated out of nowhere to try and break the tension.

Derek cut her off by taking a step back from JJ. He looked into the blond agents piercing blue eyes then looked back at the other people in the room.

"We're leaving!" he announced. He looked back at JJ one last time, then started out the door without her.

She stood rooted to the spot for a moment, then Dan moved towards her. She held up her hand at the man. "I'm sorry everyone." She picked up her coat and purse. "I have to go. Thank you for having us!"

Chelsea caught up to JJ in the foyer. "Honey, I wish you would let me and Dan help you! I hate to see such a beautiful couple having such troubles."

"Maybe.." JJ said smiling as she walked through the now open front door. She looked up just in time to see Derek slamming the front door of their temporary home closed behind him.

"I'll check on you tomorrow darling!" Chelsea said waving. She really did want Jennifer and Derek to accept help. It didn't work out too well for the last couple that refused to get help in saving their marriage.

/

Emily and Hotch noted the exchange between JJ and the neighbor. They also noted that Morgan had stormed out of the house mere seconds before that.

"Should we call them?" Emily asked.

"They know to call us if they've got something." He looked at his watch. "We'll hang out for a little while longer, then get going if we don't hear anything. We have a briefing tomorrow afternoon anyway."

"Okay Hotch." She hoped he was right.

/

JJ walked through the front door, a flood of emotions running through her. Why did he choose to storm off like that? She swore she could still feel his lips on hers. Her mind instantly flashed to that night they shared together. The night they couldn't talk about.

"This is ridiculous." She muttered to herself. "I cannot let my mind go there right now!"

"JJ…" Morgan seemed to appear from nowhere. He started to walk towards her, and she in turn took a step back.

"Not right now Morgan." JJ said holding up her hand. As if that would stop him from getting closer if he wanted to.

"Can we just talk please?" his eyes were pleading.

"Not now." She repeated, making a bee line for the stairs. He was on her heals though.

"I'm sorry about leaving like that." He began. "About kissing you like that…"

Stopping at her bedroom door, she turned to face him. She could tell that her face was still flushed, and she was hoping the low light hid that fact. She ran a hand through her hair.

"I can't do this with you right now Derek!" She looked up at him, and instantly regretted it. "We need to focus on this case. Everything else can wait."

She opened the door to her room and stepped inside. When he tried to speak again she held up a hand to stop him. She didn't trust herself to let him in the room right now. She was so amped up right now, that anything could happen.

"Not now." Was all she said before gently closing the door in his handsome face. Letting go of the door handle, she turned and leaned back against her only defense. A closed door.

"What are you doing Jennifer Jareau?" she asked herself. Then, as if to answer herself as well, she jumped from the door as if it were on fire. Not thinking twice she quickly opened the door, only to find that Morgan still stood there. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then quickly closed it again. Her mind was racing. Without thinking she grabbed his arm and pulled him inside the room, slamming the door closed behind him.

"You changed your mind about talking about this?" He ask bewildered.

"No." JJ said in a low voice. "I still don't want to talk."

"Oh." Was all he managed to get out before their lips met in a fiery kiss.

_To be continued_….

_**Sorry about the cliffhanger, but we have to leave some things for the next chapter! Thanks for reading, and don't forget to REVIEW! Reviews fuel my fire for writing…. xo**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hey kids, those of you who are still with me, I'm glad you're enjoying this story! I really appreciate all of the favorites, follows, and REVIEWS. I hope you enjoy this chapter too. I don't own any of the characters except for the ones I made. **_

**Chapter 5**

Derek Morgan let out a yawn, squinting his brown eyes in the harsh bright morning sunlight. He quickly came to focus on the figure sleeping next to him under the covers. He smiled, watching Jennifer Jareau as she snored softly next to him. She was facing him and he had the perfect view of her face. She slept with a half-smile on her face, and he wondered if she was dreaming about last night. He laid his head back down on his pillow and closed his eyes again. He thought about last night, and couldn't help but smile himself. It was best night of his life hands down.

_Flashback…_

_Morgan eyes widened when the door to JJ's bedroom opens as he is still standing in the hallway. Before he can say one word she pulls him into the room and slams the door closed behind him._

"_You changed your mind about talking about this?" he asked._

"_No." JJ said in a low voice. "I still don't want to talk."_

"_Oh…" was all he managed to get out before she brought her mouth to his in a fiery kiss._

_He was caught by surprise, but quickly recovered and brought his arms around her and pulled her close. They kissed each other hungrily, and since her mouth was already open to him, he wasted no time at all deepening the kiss. Their tongues battled for dominance and oxygen was starting to become an issue for them both. He pulled away from her and they were both panting for breath. He stared down at her and she looked back up into his eyes without saying a word._

_Morgan reached out a hand and stroked down the side of her face and tucked a stray strand of soft blonde hair behind her ear. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, both of his arms wrapping around her tightly. Without a second thought he captured her mouth in another searing kiss. He pushed her so that she was against the door and moved his mouth to kiss her neck. He smiled to himself as he heard her gasp when he found the sensitive spot below her ear._

_He looked into her eyes again and this time slowly brought his mouth down to hers. He let his tongue trace her bottom lip before it met hers, and he explored every inch on the inside of her mouth. Her kisses were so sweet they were like sugar to him, and he couldn't get enough. His hands moved from in her hair, down her hips, and finally hooked behind her thighs. He lifted her body and she quickly wrapped her legs around his waist. Turning, Derek moved them away from the bedroom door, and carried her the few feet over to the bed. He laid her down, his mouth never breaking contact with at least some part of her body._

"_Derek…" she whispered._

"_Shhh…." He said kissing her mouth again. "No talking, remember."_

_He took her hands in his and stretched her arms up over her head, all the while kissing down her neck. She was full on panting as his mouth drew a line of fire down her body. He held her hands together at the wrists with one hand while the other traced down her body. He let her go so he could remove his shirt, and went back to kissing her. He could kiss Jennifer Jareau forever. She sat up a little, as he had worked the zipper to her dress down some. She practically held her breath as he removed it then took his dress pants off._

"_You are so beautiful JJ." He told her earnestly._

"_What happened to no talking?" she asked him with a smile. She ran a finger down the middle of his chiseled chest._

"_I just had to get that out."_

_And with that they removed the rest of their clothes, and JJ let out a groan of pleasure when Derek sank himself into her tight warmth. Once he felt that she had adjusted to his size, he began to move within her. He kissed her deeply as they made love over and over for the rest of the night. This was exactly where Derek Morgan wanted to be, and he would be sure to never let go of this moment._

JJ's eyes fluttered open, and she focused on the clock that sat on the nightstand. It read 8:27am. Smiling at the sight of Derek Morgan sleeping peacefully beside her, she flopped back down onto the bed. Last night wasn't a dream! It had to have been hands down the hottest, most erotic night she had ever spent with a man. Even better than what she remembered of the two of them hooking up last year! She reached out and ran her index finger down along his bicep and up to his hand. She let out a small laugh when his hand instantly reached out for hers. He opened his brown eyes, and smiled at her immediately.

"Good morning gorgeous." He murmured sleepily.

"Yeah it is." She said.

Still holding onto her hand, he stretched over to her so that he could give her a slow kiss on the lips. He ran his hand down her spine, and she let out an involuntary shiver.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm more than okay right now."

Derek regarded the blond agent in bed with him. She was stunning even first thing in the morning. But something in those blue eyes told him, that this moment wasn't as perfect as she was leading him to believe.

"JJ…" he started.

"Derek what are we doing?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

He looked into her eyes without saying anything, trying to think about how to respond to her question. The truth was that he knew that they shouldn't be doing whatever this was, but at the same time it felt so right. Before he could respond though, she continued talking.

"We're agents that work together, and we're in the middle of an important case!" She sat up in bed, keeping herself covered up. "We're going to screw this up Derek! Literally."

Derek let out a sigh. "JJ I know that this case has to be a priority, but we can't ignore what happened. Not again."

"Derek I didn't say I wanted to ignore this. Whatever this is." She sighed and looked around for something to put on. "I'm just saying that I think we just made things more complicated for not only us, but for this whole case."

Morgan knew JJ was right. They were right in the middle of an investigation, and them starting to sneak around, if that's what they were going to do, wasn't the best idea right now. He sat up all the way in bed and reached for his pants. He stood up and pulled them on, also reaching for his shirt. He looked down at JJ and let out a small sigh. She stayed under the covers as he walked around to her side of the bed and sat down next to her.

"JJ..." he said and reached for her hand. "Last night was amazing, and I don't want this to be another one night stand."

JJ looked down at their hands, fingers threaded together, and she couldn't help but smile as she thought of just how amazing last night was.

"I don't want it to be either." She agreed.

Morgan leaned in close and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck, and the kiss deepened. After a few moments they both pulled away.

"As much as I would love to continue all of this," Derek said. "We have a briefing we need to be at by noon."

"You're right. Why don't you head over there before me?"

"Sure thing Jayje." He agreed. "We have to make it look like we're still arguing. I'm sure that's what Chelsea and Dan are expecting."

"I'll see you over there in a little while." Just then a thought struck her. "Derek you won't say anything about this to anyone, right?"

"Of course not." He replied. "I wouldn't do that!"

"I know you wouldn't Derek. I guess I'm just on edge and needed to hear that."

"No worries." He said opening the bedroom door. Just then his phone started to ring. Looking down he saw it was Hotch. He waved to JJ as he answered the phone, closing the door behind him.

JJ sat for a few minutes after Derek left the room. She could still feel the butterflies in her stomach at the thought of their tryst last night. Wrong or not, it certainly was one of the most exciting nights she'd had in a while! She hoped that there were more nights like that to come.

Forty-five minutes later JJ was completely dressed. Derek had made his way over to the BAU early to see if any of the DNA from the prior murders had been fully processed yet. They would all be briefed on the results as a team later. Just as JJ was making her way into the kitchen for some coffee the doorbell rang. Quickly looking around to make sure that everything was in place, she made her way to the door. To her surprise it was Chelsea looking bright and cheery as ever.

"Chelsea!" JJ said in a pleasant voice. "Good morning."

"I'm sorry to bother you in the morning dear, but I saw Derek leave, and I just wanted to check in on you after last night."

"It's fine really." JJ said. "I'm sorry for causing such a scene after you were nice enough to invite us into your home."

"No apologies necessary dear! As long as you're okay."

JJ watched as the women glanced around then reached into her back pocket. She pulled out a business car with a number on it and held it out for JJ to take from her, which she did. There was no name or business on the card. Not like the one Chelsea had given her a couple days ago. JJ was confused.

"I'm sorry Chelsea, but what is this number?"

Chelsea took a step closer to JJ so that there was only an inch between the two women. JJ's senses were on full alert, as she wasn't sure what this woman's angle was yet, but she didn't move away or make her discomfort obvious.

"That number, my dear is exclusive, and I hope that you will use it." She spoke in a low voice even though no one else was around, and she reached up to tuck a stray hair behind JJ's ear. Moving even closer to JJ, so that her lips touched her ear, she whispered, "I can help you forget about your troubles with Derek if you let me."

This time JJ did take a step back and smiled nervously at Chelsea. There was almost no way that this woman wasn't the unsub they were looking for.

"I've got some errands to run, but…" JJ hesitated slightly. "Can I call you this afternoon?"

Chelsea smiled back at JJ. "Of course you can! I'll be waiting."

JJ waved as the woman made her way down the driveway and back to her own house across the street. She closed the door when she saw that Chelsea had closed her front door, and JJ did the same. She leaned against the door and shivered in disgust.

"What the hell was that?!" she asked herself. Gathering her thoughts as well as her purse, JJ slipped out of the house and into her car. She drove towards Quantico, making sure that she didn't have anyone following her. They had to end this quick.

Meanwhile…

Chelsea picked up her cell phone when it rang, her mind still on the blond goddess across the street. She smiled when she saw on the caller ID that it was Dan.

"This is a nice surprise in the middle of the day!"

"How's my kitten?" Dan asked sweetly.

"I have some news to share with you about our gorgeous new neighbor love."

"Funny you should say that. I do too." He chuckled over the phone. "Ladies first of course."

"I got closer to sweet Jennifer, and I'll being seeing her later." She couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice. "Dan she's going to use the number that we only give out to the best couples!"

"Sweetheart that does sound great, but I've got some disappointing news about our new friends."

"What is it?"

"You know I followed Derek when he left this morning right?" Dan asked his wife.

"I do now." She responded. "Dan, baby, what's going on?"

"I followed him to Quantico, VA Chelsea. All the way to the FBI headquarters. Honey he's an agent."

He heard her gasp on the other end of the line.

"There's more darling, and it pains me to say this."

"What?" She asked in a clipped tone.

"I'm still sitting here outside of the FBI, and our sweet Jennifer drove up too."

"No!" Chelsea wailed into the phone. "She can't be an agent!"

"You know what we have to do dear."

"Yes I do." Her voice was more composed this time. "I'll still be seeing her later."

"Good. I'll contact Derek from my office later as well."

"They would've been so perfect for us Dan." Chelsea said sadly. "Why did they have to go and ruin things?"

"It'll all be over soon my love." He said before hanging up. He drove off to his office so that he could use his work number to call Derek. He would invite him for drinks or a quick round of golf. He had to get the agent alone. He had to end this now.

_At Quantico…_

The team had gathered in the roundtable room. Derek and JJ sat on opposite sides of the table, as to not draw any attention from the rest of the team. JJ had told them all about her encounter this morning with Chelsea, and they all agreed it was cause for alarm. Garcia informed everyone that the lab brought back positive results from the last crime scene.

"Garcia what do you have?" Hotch asked once everyone was seated.

"This girl genius has the scoop on the latest and greatest!" She clicked on the monitor for the rest of the team to see what she was seeing on her tablet. "Check it. We got a hit off the last victim, and look that the sample belongs to!"

She clicked the remote again and the picture of the man came into view for all to see. Morgan couldn't believe their luck! It was Dan!

"Hey isn't that…" Reid began.

"Yep." JJ quipped. "That's our creep neighbor Dan."

"I knew that son of a bitch was deep into this." Morgan spat out.

"But are he and the wife working together?" Emily asked. "Because we have nothing connecting her to all of this."

"Prentiss is right." Hotch said. "Morgan, take Emily and Dave with you to pick this guy up."

"With pleasure." Morgan said. He looked over at Garcia. "Hey mama, can we get this scum's work address? We'll start there."

"Of course my love! Coming at 'cha right now."

Hotch directed his attention to JJ. There was still the matter of Chelsea, and it needed to be handled with care.

"JJ go ahead and make that call to Chelsea. Maybe she'll slip up if it's just the two of you and no Dan." He had a look of concern on his face. "No unnecessary risks okay?"

"Yes sir." She said grabbing her phone and walking out into the bullpen. She turned around at the touch of Derek's hand on her arm. He glanced around to make sure that their teammates weren't within earshot.

"JJ," He said in a low voice. "You'll be careful right?"

"I'll be careful Derek." She promised softly. "You do the same okay?"

"Always."

JJ was headed towards the elevator, card from creepy neighbor lady in hand, when she was stopped again. This time by Garcia and Prentiss. They both seemed to regard her with worried looks on both of their faces.

"What's up?" JJ asked them.

"That's funny Jayje." Garcia with no smile on her face. "We were just about to ask you the same thing."

"What do you mean?" JJ said trying her best to act nonchalant.

Emily wasn't buying for one second though. "Look JJ, you can tell us to mind our own business if you want, but is there anything you want to tell us?"

"Anything like what?" She played dumb.

"So there's nothing going on with you?" Garcia hedged.

"Or you and Morgan?" Emily pressed.

Before anyone could say anything, Morgan and Rossi walked up to the trio.

"Emily are you ready?" Dave asked.

"Yeah, let's go get this creep." She replied, but looked back at JJ as they got on the elevator. The look on the blonde's face told her everything she need to know for now.

"Garcia I promise we will talk later okay?" JJ told her best friend on a low voice as Reid appeared at their side.

"You bet we will!" Garcia said before floating down the hall to her lair.

"Everything okay?" Spencer asked in concern.

"Everything's good Spence." JJ assured. "I better go make that call." She said holding up her phone.

"We're just a phone call away!"

JJ held her breath as she dialed the number on the business card. Chelsea may not be working with her husband, but she was definitely into some pretty shady stuff as far as JJ was concerned. A lot of it was probably kinky too. She shivered at the thought. Whatever it was, as an agent and a profiler, JJ was sure she could hold her own. It was go time. Now or never. Once this case was closed she and Derek could figure out what they were to each other. They could find out what was between them, and how to deal with it. There was no going back.

_**Okay next chapter is a big one! Thanks again for all of the follows, favorites, and of course the reviews! I've got some great ideas and will share them with you all soon! Cheers!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Thanks again for all of the reading and reviewing. It really does mean a lot, and keeps me motivated to write something you all enjoy ready… **_

**Chapter 6 **

JJ held her phone up to her ear and waited patiently for Chelsea to pick up. On the fourth ring she answered. JJ gave herself a mental reminder to keep her voice friendly and upbeat. They still didn't have anything incriminating on her.

"Jennifer, hello dear!" Chelsea said in a cheerful tone.

"Hey I hope I'm not bothering you." JJ began.

"Of course not! I was hoping you would call soon!"

"I was hoping we could meet if that's okay with you." She intentionally lowered her voice. "You know, so we can talk?"

"Yes dear, that's fine! Can you come over right now?"

"I can be there in about twenty minutes." JJ replied. She had been sitting in her car in the parking garage, and now she started the vehicle up.

"I'll see you soon then Jennifer!"

JJ steered the car out of the garage then immediately dialed her unit chief's number. He picked up on the second ring.

"JJ what's up?"

"Hotch I'm headed over to Chelsea's. I should be there in twenty."

"Sounds good JJ. Be careful okay." He warned.

"I will be." She assured her boss. She drove towards Chelsea and Dan's house. She hoped that Derek, Prentiss, and Rossi would have some luck in dealing with Dan at his work place. I guess they would all find out soon enough.

Meanwhile….

Morgan drove the SUV through the street of DC until they reached Dan's work location. It was your standard office building. Morgan remembered Dan saying that he was some sort of number cruncher for a corporation. Hopping out of the bureau SUV, the three colleagues walked up to the front door. They had brought two officers from the Metro PD just in case.

"How do you wanna handle this Derek?" Rossi asked the younger team leader.

"I think I should go in first to feel him out." Derek said. "Make it seem like I was just stopping by."

"Rossi and I will wait right outside with MPD." Emily said.

"You think he'll go quietly?" Rossi asked.

"I think he will once he finds out we have him. Him causing a scene doesn't fit the profile." Morgan reasoned.

"I hope between us getting this scum and JJ trying to draw out Chelsea this all ends soon." Emily said. They nodded their agreement.

"Alright let's do this." Derek said. And the three agents went inside the office building with the uniformed officers close behind.

In Dan's office…

Dan stood at his desk trying to think of what his next move should be. He thought about his earlier conversation with his wife, and knew that they had both agreed that this needed to end soon. Especially now finding out that Derek and Jennifer were FBI agents. He picked up his cell phone and was going to call Derek. Maybe he could get him to meet off the beaten path somewhere. Would the agent agree to meet him without some sort of backup? It was hard to say. Instead of dialing Derek's number he called his wife again. She always had the best advice.

"Chelsea!" he exclaimed without waiting for her to say hello. Time was of the essence.

"Honey Jennifer will be here any minute. Why are you calling again?" She was surprised.

"Just some quick advise darling." Dan replied. Just then he heard a knock at his office door. "Honey someone is knocking. Hang on so I can get rid of them." He put his phone down on the desk without hanging it up.

Opening the door he was surprised to see Derek standing there. He glanced at the phone sitting on his desk, and knew that his wife would be smart enough not to hang up if she knew who at his door.

"Derek!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here? I was just going to call you."

"Sorry to just show up unannounced." Derek walked into Dan's office and looked around.

"What did you need?"

"I was hoping you and I could have a chat."

"A chat about what Derek?" He met the agents steel gaze with one if his own.

"I think you know why Dan." Derek said in a clipped tone.

"You mean about how I know that you and Jennifer are both FBI agents?"

Morgan couldn't hide his surprise, as he hadn't known that his and JJ's cover had been blown. He regarded Dan for a moment before responding.

"Dan the fact that you know that we're FBI agents makes me think that you know exactly why I'm here."

Just then Prentiss and Rossi entered the office along with the uniformed officers. It was over, and Dan knew it.

"We have your DNA this time Dan." Morgan continued.

"You know you and Jennifer were our favorites." Dan said as an officer moved to handcuff his hands behind his back. "Chelsea is going to be so disappointed when she finds out Jennifer betrayed her trust."

"Too bad you won't get the chance to tell her yourself." Derek said. No one knew that his phone was still connected and that his wife was listening to everything.

"It's over Dan." Prentiss said. "And you're under arrest."

"You think this is over?" Dan said. He laughed, and the agents all looked at each other in confusion.

"You have the right to remain silent you know." Rossi said to the unsub. "I'd use it if I were you."

The officers led Dan out of his office as all of his co-workers looked and began whispering to each other. The agents followed close behind.

"I'll call Hotch and let him know we're on our way back." Derek said pulling out his phone.

"Now all we have to do is find out how the wife fits in with all of this." Rossi said.

"We better do it quick too." Prentiss said. "If Chelsea finds out JJ is with the FBI there's no telling what she'll do."

Meanwhile…

Chelsea's blood was boiling, but she couldn't let it show. They had Dan, and that meant she wouldn't be far behind. Looking out the window she saw the young blonde pull into the driveway. She quickly walked through the hallway and made sure the door to garage was locked. Her visitor from earlier would be knocked out for quite some time. Time enough for her to take care of Jennifer.

JJ walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. She gave the house and surrounding areas a quick once over, and all seemed quiet. Once she found any clues as to what Chelsea was up to she could get with the team and gain some ground on connecting her to these murders. Just like they had connected Dan. She was brought out of her thoughts when the front door opened with a flourish.

"Jennifer hello dear!" the brunette said smiling.

"Chelsea hey." JJ said smiling back.

"Come on in dear!" The woman moved so JJ could step into the house.

"How are you? And where is that gorgeous husband of yours hiding himself today?" She led the pair through the house and into the kitchen.

"Derek has some errands of his own to run today I guess." JJ feigned slight disappointment. "He left this morning, and I haven't seen him since."

"I'm sure he can't keep himself away from you all day." Her voice almost sickeningly sweet. "Would you like a bottled water?"

JJ hesitated briefly before answering. Then she noticed that the seal on the bottle was still intact.

"Sure thank you. That would be great."

Chelsea removed the cap from the bottle and handed it over to JJ. She watched as the blonde agent took a small sip and swallowed.

"Aren't you going to have one?" JJ asked innocently.

"Already ahead of you." Chelsea said holding up her own half empty bottle of water.

"I see." JJ said taking another sip of her water. A longer sip this time. She got thirsty when she was nervous. "So about that number you gave me to use earlier…"

"Jennifer you should know that Dan and I only give that number out to people we trust."

JJ eyed Chelsea for a few moments without answering right away. She took another sip of water as she thought of her next words carefully.

"Chelsea, Derek and I are happy we met you and Dan. And we're glad that you feel close enough to us to invite you into your lives." JJ was keeping her tone nice and even.

"Can I trust you Jennifer?"

JJ stifled a yawn, and looked back blankly at the brunette. "Can you trust Derek and me?" JJ yawned again, as she was now overcome with drowsiness.

"I'm very disappointed in you dear." Chelsea said standing up and walking towards JJ.

JJ watched the woman approach her, and it seemed like she was moving in slow motion. Then it hit JJ. Chelsea had managed to drug her. She stood up, and noticed that her vision was becoming blurry and her body felt heavy. This was not good. She reached for her purse on the counter, but Chelsea moved it out of her reach.

"You're FBI Jennifer." The woman's voice was calm. "And apparently now you have my husband."

JJ stumbled, and reached out to steady herself. She was alone with this woman, and she had to try and stay alert. Chelsea watched as JJ grasped the counter, and was now using it to try and hold herself up.

"There's no sense in fighting it darling." Chelsea said smiling. "You're fighting a losing battle right now."

"Chelsea listen to me…" JJ said as she slid down onto the cold kitchen floor. "My team will be coming for me if they don't…"

"If they don't hear from you?" Chelsea said finishing JJ's statement. She looked up when she heard a cell phone ringing. She smiled when she realized it was the agent's phone ringing.

She reached into JJ's purse and pulled out the phone, looking at the caller ID, she saw it was Derek. Shaking her head she sat the phone back down as it continued to ring. Looking back down at the agent she smiled when she realized that she had succumbed to the sedative that had been in her water. She kneeled down next to the unconscious agent. She ran a hand through her hair, and down her arm. Her skin was so soft.

"We better get you out of here." She said. "Your FBI friends will come running since you couldn't answer your phone."

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"JJ's not answering her phone." Morgan told the rest of the team as they made their way into the BAU bullpen. "She wouldn't not answer her phone right now."

"What are you thinking?" Emily asked.

"Something's not right." He turned to his unit chief. "Hotch we need to get over there right now."

"Let's go!"

"Garcia keep trying JJ's phone, and make sure you're tracking it." Rossi instructed their technical analyst. "As long as her phone is on and she is with it, that's our best chance of finding her."

"I'm on it my lovelies!" Garcia said as they piled into the elevator. She looked pointedly as Morgan. "Bring her back Derek."

"I promise I will mama." He said as the doors closed. He took a deep breath as he climbed into the driver's seat of one of the SUVs while Hotch would drive the other one. He looked at Prentiss who climbed in the passenger seat next to him.

"Derek…" she started.

"We have to find her Emily." Was all he said before pulling the vehicle out onto the street.

Prentiss nodded in silence. She understood that her friend and teammate needed full support. She was going with her gut feeling from earlier in that there may be something happening between JJ and Morgan. The look on his face when he couldn't reach her on her phone confirmed it for her. She just hoped that this case would end well. Then maybe JJ or Derek would open up to her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Chelsea had opened the door to the garage wide so that she could get JJ into her car. She wrapped her arms around the blonde agent's frame from behind and pulled her through the doorway.

"It's a good thing you're light darling." She commented as she made it into the garage with ease. She dropped JJ to the floor so she could open the car door. She had to act quickly. She looked passed JJ and to the body of the still unconscious guest from this morning.

"I'm sure you won't mind if I take care of Jennifer first." She said in a snide tone.

She hoisted J into the backseat and closed the door. She would take her to a very secret spot and her FBI friends would never see her again. Starting up her Audi, she backed out of the garage and headed away from the city.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Garcia is JJ's phone still on and at the suspects' residence?" Hotch asked over the speakers in the SUV.

"It is boss man!"

"Okay we're here now!" The large vehicles squealed to a halt in front of the house. "Garcia stay on the line!" Hotch ordered.

Morgan hopped and company hopped out of the SUVs and surrounded the house. He knocked on the front door.

"Chelsea are you home?" he called out. "It's me, Derek!"

No answer. Rossi gave him the nod, and Morgan kicked the door in, almost busting it off its hinges. They all looked throughout the house for any sing of JJ or Chelsea. Prentiss and Reid went to the kitchen while Derek checked the back rooms. Rossi and Hitch went upstairs.

"Clear up here!" Hotch yelled.

"Clear!" Morgan chimed in after his sweep.

In the kitchen Spencer and Emily found it clear as well. "You guys!" Emily called to the rest of the team who now joined them. "JJ's purse." She held up the leather bag in one hand. And her phone in the other.

"Dammit!" Morgan cursed.

The team looked around the room.

"No signs of any struggle." Rossi noted.

"How about this half consumed bottle of water?" Reid said picking it up with a gloved hand. "Maybe Chelsea drugged JJ."

"She was onto JJ before she even got here." Hotch stated. "Dan must have tipped her off."

"And now she has a head start." Morgan lamented.

"This water is still cold." Reid stated. "They can't be too far off."

Rossi noticed the door to the garage was ajar, and motioned for the team to back him up. Pulling out his gun again, he slowly opened the door. He and Morgan went in together and both were shocked to find a young woman unconscious and shackled to a work bench. She was young, blonde, and matched the case victimology.

"We need a medic in here right away!" Rossi called.

"We have to find JJ!" Morgan was starting to lose it.

"Garcia can you run a vehicle and plate registration for Dan and Chelsea?" Prentiss asked through her mic.

"It'll be something high end, but it'll also blend in as well." Reid chimed in.

"I am way ahead of you my BAU scholars!" Garcia said as she typed away at her keyboards.

"What do you have?" Morgan asked.

"I have a 2012 Audi A5, silver in color, with a plate number of HHG-5678. Just sent the info to your phones now!"

"Thank you Garcia." Rossi said.

"Bring my girl back home!" Garcia exclaimed.

"We will Penelope." Rossi affirmed.

"I'll have MPD put an APB out on the vehicle." Hotch said. "Medics are here for the girl."

"Hotch we need to move now." Morgan stressed to his unit chief. "We can't let her get outside the district."

"Her model car comes equipped with GPS." Reid said. "We can have Garcia try and track it."

"We'll do that from the road." Hotch said. "Let's go!"

With that order the team was off to find JJ. They knew that Chelsea knowing that JJ was an agent made it that much more important that they had to get to her in time. Morgan couldn't let anything happen to her. He would never forgive himself. He felt like he had just got her back! He didn't care that he was giving himself and JJ away to the rest of the team by way of his reactions. All he cared about was getting her back. He just hoped they wouldn't be too late!

_**I'm going to end it there. Cliffhanger, I know. No worried, because I already started writing the next chapter. It's going to be a doozy. Thank you again for all the reviews. They really do mean a lot to me.**_

_**Cheers…**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Hey you guys have been awesome with the reading, favoriting, following, and the reviewing! I'm enjoying writing this story! I'm not sure how much longer I'll keep this going, but I promise to make it worth the read!**_

**Chapter 7**

Chelsea hummed a song to herself as she drove through the streets of Washington DC. She glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure her passenger was still sleeping. The blonde agent had not moved an inch since being drugged and put in the back of her car. Now she just had to get rid of her. The Feds had Dan, and she knew there was nothing she could do about that now. She would be on her own now. Of course she would have to leave the country as well. There was a lot to do, and very little time to do it in.

She thought about how she and Dan would've had such a good time with Derek and Jennifer. Why did they have to go and ruin things, by being part of an investigation meant to bring them down? They only killed those other couples because they wouldn't agree to let her and Dan help them become better in their respective relationships. She concentrated her efforts on putting distance between herself and the Feds that were most likely now looking for their fellow agent.

Xxxxxxxxx

Morgan sped through the District's streets hoping to get a clue on where JJ might be. He gripped the steering wheel so tight that hands hurt. They all should have seen this coming. Now Dan was in lockup, and Chelsea fled with their beloved team member. He glanced over at Emily who sat in the passenger seat beside him. She looked at him, and he knew that she knew that there was something between him and JJ. At this point he didn't care though. He just had to get her back and tell her what she meant to him before it was too late. Just then Rossi's voice broke the silence.

"I have Garcia calling guys." He said. "Maybe she's found where Chelsea has taken JJ."

"Let's patch her through to the whole team." Derek said. And he pushed a button in the SUV so they could all talk to her.

"Garcia what do you have for us?" Rossi asked.

"Good news team!" Garcia started. "I was able to use the satellites to locate Chelsea's car."

"Where are they?" Hotch asked sternly.

"She's making her way to the other side of the city as we speak." Garcia reported. "You might too far away to catch up to her."

"Garcia, have MPD dispatch more uniforms and set up road blocks!" Hotch ordered. "We'll have to shut down her exits out of the district!"

"Yes sir! I'm on it!" And Garcia hung up.

Prentiss touched Derek's arm, and tried to be as comforting as she could, given the situation. "We'll find her." She said.

"I know." Morgan said. "I'm just scared that it might be too late."

"You know Jennifer Jareau is one of the toughest gals in the bureau." Rossi said. "And she knows we're coming for her."

"I hope you guys are right." Was all Derek said.

Hotch steered the bureau SUV through the streets of DC with Reid in the passenger seat next to him They had decided to split from Morgan and the rest of the team to try and cover more ground. All they had to do was stop her from getting out of the city. Reid studied the blue dot on the screen of his tablet. It represented Chelsea's car, and it seemed that were actually on their way to being ahead of her!

"It looks like we're going to beat her to the Potomac Bridge." Spencer said. "We should have MPD set up road blocks there."

"Alright." Hotch said. He made a quick call to Garcia who in turn contacted the Metropolitan Police. "She won't have anywhere to go."

Meanwhile in the other SUV, Morgan, Prentiss and Rossi seemed to be catching up to Chelsea from their current position. A few more miles, and her car would be in their sights. Morgan started to speed up a bit.

"We should be close kid." Rossi assured the younger agent, sensing his stress level.

Prentiss looked at her tablet. "We're very close actually." She said. "I think that's her Audi up ahead in the other lane!"

They all peered out of the front window of the SUV and confirmed that it was indeed Chelsea up ahead. Hopefully JJ was still in the vehicle and she hadn't done anything with her yet! They were too close not to have hope now!

"Stay on her!" Rossi instructed. "I'll call Hotch and let him know we're headed his way."

"Don't worry, I will not lose her!" Morgan said. They didn't have to ask if he was talking about losing Chelsea or JJ. It didn't matter at this point.

Xxxxxxxx

Chelsea drove through the thick traffic of downtown as fast as she could without drawing any attention to herself. She did a double take as she glanced in the rearview mirror. She saw a black SUV a few car lengths behind her. She changed lanes and checked again. The large vehicle was definitely following her. Knowing that it was most likely the FBI, she sped up slightly. Her chances of getting away were slim now, but she had to take a chance.

She looked at the handgun that lay on the passenger seat beside her. She was prepared to use it if she had to. JJ looked so peaceful in the backseat, that it was hard to picture her beautiful blonde head with a bullet in it. It might come to that if her teammates try to stand in her way. The SUV was gaining on her, and she sped up even more, not caring anymore that the sirens would surely come on and a high speed chase would ensue!

Morgan sped up when he noticed that Chelsea had increased her speed. She was onto them. He flipped on the siren, and proceeded to weave in and out of traffic. He wasn't going to risk her slipping into some alley in an attempt to get away.

"Morgan, take it easy!" Emily said, as swerved in order to miss a delivery truck.

"I can't let her get ahead!" He said through gritted teeth. He glanced back at Rossi. "You have to call Hotch and tell him that she's headed towards the bridge over the Potomac!"

"I'm already on it!" Rossi said with his phone out. "Hotch make sure the roadblocks are set! She's headed your way!"

"Will do." Hotch replied. He pulled the SUV he was driving up to the end of the bridge and he and Reid got out. He directed his attention to the chief of police.

"Make sure your men have this bridge covered." He instructed. "And remember I have an agent being held in that car, so do not fire at the vehicle."

"Sir I understand." He responded. "But if the lives of my officers are put on the line, know that we will do whatever it takes to stop this lady."

Agent Hotchner walked away from the officer without responding. The truth was that he knew that the officers would do what they had to if Chelsea needed to be stopped or subdued. He just hoped that it wouldn't be at the expense of his agent. He looked at his watch, figured he better get in touch with Morgan and the others. This would all probably be coming to a head very soon, and he wanted to be sure everybody was ready. Anything could happen at this point. He dialed Prentiss's phone, because he knew Morgan was driving. Plus he was pretty sure that something was going on between him and Agent Jareau. They only had one shot at getting her back.

"Hotch." Emily answered her phone.

"Prentiss we have the bridge blocked off, and we're all in position." Hotch reported. "You still have eyes on Chelsea?"

"We do." She answered. She held onto her door as Morgan continued to weave in and out of traffic as the suspect's speed increased. "We're about five minutes away from your position."

"Copy that." He said, and hung up. He called Reid over who had been talking with Garcia to get her updated. "They're about five minutes or less away."

"You think she'll give up once she sees there's no way out?" he asked.

"She knows we have her husband in custody at this point now. She won't go quietly." Hotch predicted.

Meanwhile…

Chelsea knew that BAU was gaining on her, and it was getting harder and harder to negotiate her way through the traffic. If they were going to catch her, she certainly wasn't going to make it easy for them! She pressed on the accelerator and focused on the road ahead. She was almost to the bridge. As she got closer she noticed the flashing lights up ahead. More feds and cops! This was not good at all. They laid in wait for her on the other side, and there was nowhere else for her to go.

She slowed down at the start of the bridge, and noticed the big SUV that had been on her tail slowing down as well. She did not shut off the engine, but instead sat in her car, and now picked up the handgun that lain on the passenger seat beside her. She had reached the end of the road, and she was ready to go down fighting.

Morgan slowed the SUV and stopped about twenty yards behind the Audi. He looked ahead and tried to see any signs of JJ moving or even being in the car. Then he noticed Chelsea look in the backseat, indicating to them all that JJ was indeed still in the vehicle. In the distance

They could see that Hotch and Reid along with MPD had the bridge and her way out completely blocked. He addressed his unit chief through his mouthpiece.

"Hotch she has JJ. I can see her looking into the backseat from our position."

"Copy that Mogan." Hotch responded. "Can you see of she has a weapon of any sort?"

"I can't tell, but I would assume that she does."

"And that means we have to be ready for anything." Rossi chimed in. "This broad is not right in the head."

Just then they noticed that Chelsea seemed to revving the engine of her car. What was she going to try and do? There was nowhere to go.

"Hotch she's going to try something." Morgan warned. His senses were on overload with worry for JJ.

Just as Morgan motioning to Prentiss and Rossi that something was happening, Chelsea stomped on the gas and took off towards the other end of the bridge. She gained speed, and didn't seem to care that she was headed straight towards a police blockade.

"Be ready!" The police chief shouted. "She's not slowing down."

Hotch tensed as the car got closer. Everything seemed to moving in slow motion. He knew that these officers were ready to stop Chelsea, and that included shooting at her. They already had their weapons drawn.

Chelsea kept her speed up, headed towards the army of police officers. She knew that there was no other way out, and she was going to make them stop her. The feds took away the thing that meant the most to her. Now that they had Dan, nothing else mattered. Looking in the rearview mirror she smiled.

"I'm sorry it has to be this way Jennifer." She said to the unconscious blonde. She held up the 9mm handgun so that they could see it. "Come and get me!"

Morgan, Prentiss, and Rossi watched in horror as she sped towards the officers. He knew when they raised their weapons that they had every intention of shooting Chelsea to stop her.

"They're going to shoot!" Emily shouted.

"We have an agent in that car!" Hotch yelled to no one in particular. He looked at Reid, who was wrought with anxiety.

"Shut her down now!" The police chief ordered.

The BAU team members felt as though they were watching a bad movie as the officers opened fire on their unsub. The sound of gunfire rang out, and it was soon accompanied by the sound of screeching tires. The gunshots stopped when a tire of the Audi blew out. All of the sudden the car flipped over and slid towards the bridges guardrail. Everyone started to race towards the battered car when they realized it wasn't done moving. They officers yelled for everyone to step back as the car teetered and flipped over the guardrail.

"No!" Morgan yelled in horror. "JJ!"

There was nothing they could do but watch as the car plunged over the rail and into the Potomac River below.

"Oh my god!" Emily screamed. She looked at Morgan who was now taking off his sunglasses and bullet proof vest.

"You're not going to jump?" Hotch asked in disbelief. They could no longer see the car, as it had sunk below the surface of the water.

Officers were rushing around and Reid called for medics who had been on standby.

"I am getting JJ out of that car Hotch." Derek said. "Don't try to stop me."

"Morgan…"

Before anyone else could react he was jumping into the murky water below. Now they had two agents in trouble. They all had to act quickly and work together help. They just hoped it wasn't too late.

_**Okay people! Cliffhanger for now. Cruel, I know, but no worries. It'll be good. Thanks again for reading and reviewing. Cheers!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Thank you all so much for the reviews, favorites, and follows. This story is a rollercoaster! Hope you like this next chapter! Special shout out to foxyfeline, SSAmolloy, velizara95, sugarhigh9394, cheliosfan, and various guests! You guys definitely make me want to keep writing! Cheers!**_

**Chapter 8**

There was a flurry of activity on the Potomac Bridge in Washington D.C. The Metro PD had officers and medics running every which way in an attempt to gain control of the situation. And in the middle of everything was the Behavioral Analysis Unit. This was an undercover operation that had gone horribly wrong. They were on the verge of losing one, maybe even two of their own right now.

"Morgan!" Prentiss shouted down to the water below. He had just jumped over the edge, and he had not resurfaced yet.

Hotch and Rossi were running with the cops and medics as fast, but as safely as they could down the embankment to the water's edge. Reid was on the phone with a frantic Garcia, as he was filling her in on the events currently taking place.

Derek swam beneath the surface of the river, laying his eyes on the car that held JJ and Chelsea. The water was cold, and he could feel his lungs burning as he held his breath. He was a good swimmer, but he knew he couldn't stay under water for too much longer, and the car had already filled up with water. He swam over to the car's back door and pulled on the handle. It was locked, of course. He silently cursed as he caught a glimpse of JJ in the back of the car. She was clearly unconscious, and he wasn't sure if her lungs were filled with river water at this point or not. His head began to hurt as he swam back up to the surface. He wasn't giving up though. Not by a longshot!

Up on the river's shore, the rest of the BAU team stood by as medics moved in as close as they could. Hotch was on his cell phone with Chief Strauss, trying to update her on what was happening. The distraught look on his face was the same look everyone else had on theirs right now.

"Why haven't they come back up yet?" Emily asked to no one in particular.

"Derek is a strong swimmer." Rossi answered. "He'll get JJ, and they'll both be okay."

"Hey guys!" Spencer, who was now off the phone yelled. "There he is!"

Hotch was also off of his phone, and waded into the shallow water along with an officer. Derek treaded water and seemed to be trying to catch his breath, but he made no attempts to swim to shore where his co-workers were.

"I have to go back down Hotch!" He called out. "I couldn't get the door open."

The officer closest to Morgan pulled a tool off of his belt and held it up so they could see it. "This should help us break the windows sir." He said.

Derek motioned for him to toss it over to him, and the officer did so. He tucked the steel punch in his gun belt, and pre-pared to go under water again.

"Morgan please be careful!" Emily implored.

"I'll come down with you sir." The young officer said. "I'm a pretty good swimmer."

"I'm going to get her out." Morgan said to his teammates before swimming back down to the car.

He and the officer reached the car again, and Derek looked inside to see a still unmoving JJ. He could see that her hands were tied, but couldn't see much else. He took the punch and aimed it at the center of the rear window. He needed to get to JJ first. Using all of the strength he could underwater, he struck the glass and watched it crack. He handed the tool over to the officer who proceeded to swim around to the front of the car to try and get their unsub out.

Morgan acted quickly, using his muscles to push in the broken glass and reach inside the car for JJ. He grasped the blonde underneath her arms and pulled. He didn't have time to check for any injury, as his lungs were once again running out of air. He took note that the officer had also begun is ascent back up to the surface. He did not have Chelsea with him.

"I see them." Hotch said, wading further into the water.

"Medics be ready!" The police officer in charge shouted. "They're coming up!"

Morgan broke through the water's surface with a loud gasp, his lungs clearly working overtime. He had JJ in his arms though, and everyone let out an audible sigh of relief.

"Help me get her out!" Derek called. Hotch was already at her side with another cop pulling JJ to shore so Derek could swim back himself.

"Be careful, we don't know what her injuries might be." Emily stressed.

Medics were at the ready as JJ was laid gently on dry land. One of the medics looked up at Derek who had just come out of the river in confusion.

"I thought we had two people in that car?" he asked.

Everyone looked up at Morgan and the cop who had swam down with him.

"We'll get her." The police officer answered. "She has a bullet to the head." He explained. "It's too late."

The police chief commenced giving orders and calling for the coroner to come to the scene. The rest of the BAU refocused their attention on the medics tending to JJ.

"She's not breathing!" One of them stated. "Beginning CPR!"

A soaking wet Derek Morgan rushed to her side. "JJ come on!" He pleaded. "Don't do this!"

"Morgan, give them space to help her." Rossi said gently pulling the younger agent away.

"1, 2, 3…" The medic kept repeating as they continued to try and resuscitate JJ.

"Come on…" Reid said under his breath.

Just then JJ began to cough up water from her lungs. The medics gently rolled her to the side so she could expel the water. Using a stethoscope, the medic held it to her chest. He frowned, shaking his head.

"What's going on?" Morgan asked. "Why isn't she waking up?"

JJ still lie there, unmoving, and the team stood by as they checked her over.

"Her pulse is slow and weak. We also have decreased breath sounds on the left side of her chest."

"She has a collapsed lung?" Prentiss asked.

The medic nodded his head, but didn't look up from JJ. He noted a nasty bruise forming on her collar bone along with some swelling. He used scissors to cut open her top, and checked for more. There was more bruising on her rib cage, and he touched it gently.

"She's got a broken collar bone and broken ribs for sure." The medic reported. "Let's her into the ambulance and to the hospital now!"

They all followed close behind as the medics got JJ loaded onto a stretcher, and back up to the road where all the vehicles had been left. They were all scared that JJ hadn't even blinked since being revived. They knew that wasn't a good sign at all. Morgan rushed over to the ambulance as they loaded her inside.

"I'm riding with her." He said.

"Morgan you can ride with me." Hotch said, stepping forward.

"Hotch…" Morgan started, but his unit chief held up a hand.

"Emily, you ride to the hospital with JJ." He said sternly. "Rossi, you and Reid take the other SUV, and Morgan you're with me."

"Yes sir." Emily said. She climbed into the ambulance once they had JJ settled, and they took off down the street, sirens blaring.

"Rossi, call Agent Anderson and have him bring Garcia over to the hospital. She'll want to be there. Have them bring go bags for Morgan and me too."

"You got it Aaron." Rossi said. He turned to Reid. "Let's go kid."

Morgan silently climbed into the other SUV as Hotch got in the driver's seat. They followed Reid and Rossi through the DC streets towards Memorial Hospital. Hotch drove in silence, only glancing over at his Team Leader every once in and a while. He figured Derek was worried enough right now. He didn't want to make it worse by asking him the questions he probably knew were coming about him and JJ. That could wait. Everything could wait for now, as the primary concern was making sure their friend and fellow agent was going to be alright.

In the ambulance Emily reached for JJ's hand and squeezed it tightly. She looked down at her friend's face, looking for any sign of consciousness.

"JJ we're almost there okay?" She said in a shaky voice. "Just hold on."

"We're almost there ma'am." One of the medics told Prentiss.

Emily nodded, keeping her eyes glued to JJ. She had never seen her friend look so ghost like. It scared her. She knew the whole team was scared. And she knew from the look on Morgan's face, and by him jumping into the river to save her, that he probably cared the most. Just then she thought she saw JJ's eyes open a sliver before closing again.

"JJ can you hear me? She just tried to open her eyes!"

The medic bent in close to JJ. "Jennifer?" He said.

Emily squeezed JJ's hand again, and this time the blonde opened her eyes again, and they focused on her teammate.

"Emily..." She whispered faintly, but they could all hear it through the oxygen mask she was wearing.

"Shh…" Emily said. "Don't try to talk JJ. You're going to be okay,"

Just the JJ's eyes closed again, and the monitor she was hooked up to started beeping like crazy. Her hand went slack in Emily's as well. All of the sudden the ambulance came screeching to a halt. They were at the hospital, but were they too late?

"JJ!" Emily cried out frantically. "What's happening?"

"She's going into hypovolemic shock!"

"Get her into the ER now!"

They all clambered out of the ambulance, and Emily stepped back so they could rush into the building. The others pulled up just as they whisked JJ away.

"Where is she?" Morgan asked instantly. "What's happening?"

Emily filled them all in as they went inside to the waiting area. None of them could sit, and Rossi went straight for the coffee. They all looked up at the distinct sound of high heels clicking loudly down the hallway. Garcia had arrived. The technically analyst rounded the corner with Agent Anderson following close behind, carrying two bags.

"Oh my god, Derek!" She cried, throwing herself into his arms. She didn't care that he was soaking wet. "Where's my JJ? Is she going to be okay?"

Morgan squeezed Garcia tight. "We're still waiting to hear from the doctor baby girl."

"What about you?" She said taking a step back to look at a soaking wet and very distraught Derek Morgan. "Are you okay? You jumped off the bridge and into the river!"

"I had to Penelope." He said simply.

Garcia regarded her friend for a moment, seeing the hurt in his eyes. She understood why he had to. It was JJ. "I know you did, love. I know you did." And she hugged him again.

Anderson cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Agent Hotchner. Agent Morgan. I brought you some dry clothes." He said handing over the bags.

"Thanks man."

"Thank you Anderson."

"I know Agent Jareau will be okay." He said before turning to leave.

A few minutes later Morgan and Hotch had come from changing into dry clothes. The doctors were still working on JJ and had not yet come out with any kind of update. Everyone paced around nervously, as they waited on news on how she was doing.

"Morgan can I have a word?" Hotch asked.

Morgan didn't even try to hide the heavy sigh he heaved at his unit chief's request. He picked up the cup of coffee he had just poured and walked to the corner of the lounge with his superior.

"Morgan I just wanted to…" was all Hotch got out before Derek stopped him from talking.

"Hotch this night not be the best time to do this." He said.

"To do what?"

"I don't need a lecture about me and JJ, Hotch."

"I'm not going to lecture you Morgan. I can see that you care very deeply for JJ as more than a friend. And it seems you have for a while. It may have taken this case for you to realize it."

"And…?"

"And you know I have to ask the question Derek."

"What question is that Hotch?"

"You and JJ." Hotch said bluntly. "Your relationship is physical?"

"Hotch come on man…" Derek started.

Hotch held up both hands and stopped in surrender. "No lectures. I promise. But just know we will need to talk about this later. Let's all just try and focus on JJ for now."

"Thanks Hotch."

"No thanks needed."

Morgan walked back to the group and took a seat on the lounge sofa. He let out a loud sigh and rubbed his hands over his face. He was going to go crazy if the doctor didn't come and give them an update on JJ soon. He opened his eyes when he felt someone sit down next to him. He smiled, seeing that it was Garcia. His best friend. She wordlessly took his hand and squeezed it in support. He looked into her eyes, and he knew she understood how he was feeling. How could she not? JJ was her best friend.

"She's going to be okay Derek." She told him gently. "She'll come back to us."

"I know she will baby girl."

"Someone should've come out here to talk to us by now." Spencer said looking at his watch.

"Maybe the whole "No news is good news" rule applies here." Prentiss suggested.

They were all on edge and tired of waiting. Just when Morgan was about to demand what was happening, a doctor in scrubs came walking towards them. They all jumped to their feet in anticipation.

"You all are here for Jennifer Jareau?" He asked.

"Yes we are!"

"How is she?"

"What's happening?"

Everyone started talking at once, and the doctor held up his hand so he could speak.

"Agent Jareau is doing better, and I'm confident she'll recover." He began. "We were able to repair the damage done to her lung, which I believe was caused by her not being strapped in when the car flipped then fell into the water."

"Is she awake?" Derek asked.

"No she isn't. Not yet." The doctor sighed before continuing. "Jennifer was in the water for a long time, and both her lungs and brain were compromised due to lack of oxygen."

"Is there brain damage?" Reid asked.

"Too soon to tell, but we have pretty heavily sedated right now. And because her lungs are still so weak, we have her on a ventilator to help her breathe. That's just a precaution."

"Can we see her?" Hotch asked.

"Soon." The doctor answered. "She'll be moved out of recovery and into a room in the ICU. I'll have a nurse come get you once that happens."

The doctor looked at each and every member of the BAU team before turning to leave. "She's lucky to have all of you, and I know she's glad you're all here."

They all watched as the doctor walked back down the hallway. He had good things to say, and definitely sounded upbeat. They all needed to see JJ with their own eyes though. They had all gotten word that Chelsea died in the car from what looked to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. So Dan would stand trial, go to prison, and his wife was dead. No one wanted to say it, but they were all thinking it. There was a chance JJ had permanent brain damage. They wouldn't know anything until she woke up though. Hopefully that would be sooner rather than later. They all sat down in an uncomfortable, uneasy silence, as they waited on the word when they could see their beloved JJ.

_**Thanks for reading! More to come soon! Don't forget to review please. Next chapter is going to be so good!**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Thank you all for the reviews and for sticking with this story. I enjoy writing these characters, and it seems like you enjoy reading. **_

**Chapter 9**

It had been almost an hour since the doctor came out and told them what was going on with JJ. Now if only someone would come and give them all word that it was okay to go see here in her room. Prentiss looked around the lounge at her friends' faces. They all told pretty much the same story. Lots of worry and lots of fear. She thought back to the ambulance ride to the hospital. JJ had been soaking wet from being in the water and deathly pale. It was an image she was sure she'd not get out of her head any time soon.

Derek stopped pacing the room to grab yet another cup of coffee. All of his senses were still on full alert. His body felt tired from the already long day, and from being in the water earlier. He needed to coffee to keep him going. His gaze fell on Hotch and Rossi, who were talking quietly in the corner. He knew a long conversation with Hotch, and maybe even Strauss was coming. There were fraternization rules that agents were supposed to follow. Especially if they were in the same department. He knew Hotch was definitely the more understanding of the two, but had a feeling that he would get pressure from the top of the chain.

"Hey here comes a nurse." Spencer said standing up.

Everyone turned to see a heavy set nurse headed their way. She was holding a chart in her hands, skimming over its contents. She focused her attention on the group as she drew closer. She smiled kindly at each face before speaking.

"I bet you are here for Jennifer Jareau?" She asked them.

"We are ma'am." Hotch answered.

"We can see her now?" Derek said.

"You can. She's down the hall in a private room." She motioned further down the hallway. "If you all will follow me please."

They followed the nurse and she came to a stop in front of the door to JJ's room. "We normally don't allow more than two at a time in the rooms in the ICU unit, but I think we can make an exception as long as you all behave."

"Thank you." Rossi said to the woman.

"Now as the doctor told you, she is on a ventilator to help her breathe, and they've got her heavily sedated."

"When will she wake up?" Emily asked.

"It's hard to say right now, but we're keeping a close eye on her."

She opened the door, and they all filed quietly inside. Garcia let out a sharp gasp, and the rest of them were startled as well, as to JJ's appearance.

"Oh my angel!" Garcia said in a whisper. "What have they done to you?"

"Just talk to her, and let her know that you're hear. I'm sure she would like that." Before closing the door gently behind her, she turned and said, "Now don't stay too long!"

It took every fiber in Derek's being not to rush over and clutch JJ's hand. He looked down at her, and she seems so peaceful. It looked like she was sleeping, except for the tube that ran from her mouth down her throat, and was held in place by some medical tape. He watched as Emily got down close and held her hand. She brushed some of the blonde's hair back from her face and frowned.

"JJ, it's Emily." She began. "We're all here for you okay."

"And we'll all be here when you're ready to wake up." Garcia added.

She reached out for Morgan's hand, and pulled him closer to the bed. She moved over some and put JJ's hand in his. He smiled at Penelope, and mouthed a silent thank you to her. He squeezed JJ's hand in his and studied her face.

"Hey Pennsylvania it's Derek." He spoke softly. "Penelope and Emily are right, you know. We're all here."

"We shouldn't stay too long guys." Hotch told them. "I'm sure she needs her rest."

Reid looked up from the chart he had picked up from the end of the bed. Of course he would be studying it to make sure the doctors didn't miss anything. He then looked at the monitors to make sure they were functioning correctly then back down at the chart. Once he seemed satisfied he hung the chart back up on the end of the bed.

"Well there are no spikes in the monitors, and her breathing through the ventilator is nice and even." He said.

"Thank you doctor." Rossi quipped.

"You guys Hotch is right." Emily said standing up. "We should go and let her get some rest."

"We can come back first thing." Hotch agreed.

Everyone made their way to the door, but Derek hung back. He was still holding on to JJ's hand. Garcia touched his shoulder on the way out in a show of support.

"We'll be right outside my love." She told him, following the group out of the room.

"Thanks baby girl." He said.

Once the room was clear, he sat back down and took JJ's hand again. Reaching out his hand, he gently stroked the side of her face. He took note of the bruising he could see on her collarbone from being tossed around in the car without a seatbelt, and her bone breaking. It looked like it hurt, and he imagined that if she were awake, she would definitely be feeling the pain right now.

"Alright JJ." He said to her in a low voice. "It's you and me now."

"I'm so sorry this happened to you." He continued. "I should've seen it coming."

His words were met by silence.

"I want you to know that I'm not leaving you." He said. "I'll be right here when you wake up."

The rest of the group stood out in the hallway. The nurse told them that JJ probably wouldn't wake up until tomorrow, but none of them felt good about leaving. They got confirmation that Chelsea had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, and that she had most likely done it when the car was plunging into the river. It was good riddance as far as they were concerned. That woman and her husband had hurt a lot of people.

Prentiss spoke up. "I don't guys," she started. "They said to come back tomorrow, but I think we should stick around."

"I agree with Emily." Garcia stated. "Jayje needs us all here right now."

"Then we all stay." Hotch confirmed.

"I'll go check on Morgan." Garcia said, turning to go back into JJ's room.

The others made their way back to the lounge. There was no doubt they would be there for a while.

Garcia knocked softly on the door before entering the room. Derek sat in the chair pulled up as close to JJ's bed as it could go and held her hand. She smiled at her two best friends and moved into the room.

"Hey you." She said to Derek.

"Hey yourself, mama." He answered back with a small smile.

"We all decided to stay here so that when JJ wakes up she knows we're here for her."

"That's great. She'll like that."

"We're here for you too, you know."

"I know you are."

She gestured towards the empty chair next to him. "So is that seat taken or what?"

"Saved it just for you." He said pulling it right up against his.

"You don't mind if I stay in here with you?" She asked taking a seat.

"Of course not Penelope." He said. "I need you here, and so does JJ."

"Good." She said leaning her head on his shoulder. She glanced up at him then looked back to JJ. She said a silent prayer for her best friend, and squeezed Morgan's hand.

Back in the lounge…

"We might as well get comfortable. We're going to be here for a while." Hotch stated.

"Hotch is right." David affirmed. "Garcia or Morgan will come get us if anything changes."

They all picked somewhere comfortable to sit or lay down except for Reid, who paced around nervously. He hadn't said much, and the whole situation was obviously weighing on him more than he was willing to let on to the rest of the team. Emily motioned for him to come sit next to her. She patted his arm in support after he sat down.

"Reid I know you're scared, but JJ is going to be fine." She told him.

"I know." He said, fidgeting with his watch, but not looking up.

"Hey look at me." She waited until he looked up her before she continued. "We're all scared Reid."

"Thank you Emily." He said smiling.

"For what?" She asked.

"For helping to calm my nerves." He said with a chuckle. "I'm a man of science so I have to believe that the doctors are doing or have done everything to help JJ get better. I'm not someone who unnerves easily when science and medicine are meant to prevail."

"But JJ is your best friend, and her being hurt like this kind of throws science and medicine out the window." She deduced.

"Right." He said nodding his head. "So thank you for helping to calm my nerves and my fears."

"You're very welcome." She said smiling back at the young agent. "Now try to get some rest."

"I will." He moved to one of the small couches and closed his eyes.

Prentiss took stock of everyone in the room, to include Hotch, Reid, and Rossi. She pictured Garcia and Morgan, who sat holding vigil by JJ's side. She then closed her eyes as well, and hoped that tomorrow would bring them all a bit of good news about their friend.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Morning…

Emily walked into the hospital lounge that morning load up with coffee for her comrades. Not the cheap stuff from the lounge either. It was the gourmet kind. She smiled when they all started to rouse as the smell of fresh java hit their noses. They all had a restless night waiting on any word if JJ's condition had changed. Other than a doctor doing rounds and some nurses coming by to check on things, there was no news to report.

"Thank you Prentiss." Hotch said as she set the tray of coffee down.

"No problem." She replied. "Any word on JJ while I was getting coffee?"

"Nothing yet." Rossi said.

"Okay, well I'm going to take these other coffees to Morgan and Garcia. I'm sure they could use the real stuff after a long day and night."

The rest of the team watched as Prentiss walked out of the lounge to head towards JJ's room.

Emily peaked inside the room before and saw Morgan and Garcia sitting close to JJ's bed. Penelope was holding her hand while Derek's eyes were closed. He was probably trying to get some rest, as they all had a tough night of waiting around. She knocked softly on the door.

"Hey guys." She said in a whisper. "I brought coffee."

"Thank you goddess." Garcia said waving Prentiss into the room.

Just then Derek opened his eyes as he started to stir. "I thought I smelled coffee."

Emily handed over the cups to her friends and gazed down at JJ, who appeared to be sleeping peacefully. If it weren't for her arm in a sling, the bruises that showed on her face and neck, and the tube in her mouth helping her to breathe, one would never guess that she had been badly injured.

"How is she doing?" Emily asked.

"No change really." Derek said. "Her hand has moved a few times, but nothing major."

"Yeah the doctor came in way early to check on her, and said that all her vitals looked good, and that she was stable." Garcia added.

"That's good news." Emily said. "Still, it would be nice if she actually woke up."

"I know…" Derek murmured, staring down at the blonde. Garcia and Prentiss both looked at him with sympathy in their eyes. He clearly cared deeply for their friend.

They all sipped their coffee in uneasy silence, as their attention was focused on their friend. Morgan rubbed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. Garcia rubbed his tense shoulders in a sign of support. Prentiss stared absentmindedly at the machines JJ was hooked to, as if looking for some sort of indication of what was going on in the blonde's head. She couldn't make heads or tails of it though.

Just then a quick flutter of JJ's eyes caught her attention. She put her coffee and down. "Hey you guys, I think she's trying to wake up!"

"What did you see?" Garcia asks as she moved closer to the bed as well.

"She just blinked, like she's trying to open her eyes."

Derek moved closer and brushed a strand of blonde hair from JJ's forehead. He stared down at her, looking for any signs of movement.

"Jennifer, open your eyes." He said softly. "We're all here for you."

They all held their breath and waited, not wanting to move an inch or make a sound. Garcia, however, let out a small gasp as JJ began to open her eyes. It took a few times, but soon she opened her eyes fully.

"Thank god!" Prentiss said.

The blonde was clearly disoriented and was trying to focus on her surroundings. Derek laid a hand on her arm in comfort.

"JJ it's alright." He said. "You're in the hospital."

She looked right at him, but didn't seem to register what he was saying. Garcia ran out of the room on a mission to find any doctor or nurse available. She also wanted to go tell the rest of the team that she was waking up.

Tears welled up in JJ's eyes as she tried to focus on the faces in front of her. Her eyes averted from Derek's face to Emily.

"JJ it's me, Emily." She said trying to gently stroke her friend's hair. She smiled when JJ's blurry blue eyes landed on her face. The older woman was glad to see she was registering that she knew her.

Derek looked at the two women, and stayed silent, as Emily tried to calm JJ down. He understood that upon waking up JJ would be confused and most likely hurting. If Emily was going to be the one to calm her down then so be it. He glanced up at the door as he heard Garcia coming back down the hallway with doctors, nurses, and the rest of the team in tow, no doubt.

"JJ please…" Emily was saying. "You're in the hospital."

Tears formed at the corners if the blondes eyes as she tried to relax her breathing. The doctors would take the breathing tube out now that she was awake.

"Stay with me okay?" Emily soothed. "Doctors are on the way, and they're going to take care of you."

JJ nodded her head in understanding, and Derek and Emily both looked up as a nurse and doctor came rushing into the room.

"I hear someone's awake in here!" The doctor said moving closer to the bed. The others moved back out of the room at the nurse's request, but stayed close enough to see what was going on.

""Jennifer, you're in the hospital, and you're going to be okay." The doctor said. "Let's get that tube out of there so you can breathe on you own okay?"

She nodded her head again in understanding. The team watch as the nurse elevated the bed some, and handed the doctor a pair of gloves to put on.

"I'm going to need you to try and take a deep breath for me when I tell you to." He felt around her throat and listened to her breathing with his stethoscope. Once he was satisfied with what he heard and felt he continued.

"You sustained injuries to your ribs so if you feel a sharp pain, don't be alarmed. It's perfectly normal."

"The nurse here is going to hold your hand while we do this, or do you want one of your friends to be in here?"

When she moved her eyes in the direction of the door the doctor nodded in understanding. He smiles at the BAU team.

"Which one of you wants to come and hold this young lady's hand?"

"One of you should do it." Hotch said looking at Garcia and Prentiss.

"Go ahead PG." Emily said.

"Yeah, I got this." She said stepping forward. She moved to where the nurse had been standing and took JJ's hand. Looking down at her best friend, she said, "It's going to okay Jayje."

"Okay then, I need you take a nice deep breath then breathe out as hard as you can on my count." The doctor instructed. "It's not going to feel good, but I promise I'll be quick."

JJ nodded again, and Penelope said "She's tough doc. No need to worry about Jennifer Jareau."

"Alright." The doctor let out a chuckle. On his count JJ took in a deep breath then pushed it out as he pulled the plastic tubing from her throat. You could tell she was in pain, and more tears formed, making their way down her cheeks as she cough and gagged. She squeezed Garcia's hand tightly as the sharp pain cut through her entire body.

"You did great Jennifer." The doctor said passing the tube to the nurse who put it in a waste bin. He waited until coughing subsided before he continued. "Let's get you some water."

He let the nurse help JJ take in just a couple of small sips of water then he motioned for the rest of the team to come back in the room. They all moved in slowly, and Derek moved closer still, wanting JJ to know that he was there. The nurse took out a syringe and administered medication via the IV that was in her hand.

"You've been in an accident Jennifer." The doctor told her gently. "You've suffered some injuries, but I want you to know that you're going to be fine."

"And we're all here with you JJ." Garcia said squeezing her hand again.

JJ opened her mouth as she tried to form the words she wanted to say, but her throat hurt and she started to feel extremely drowsy.

"What..." was all she could croak out. She closed her eyes for a moment.

"It's okay. You may not be able to put that beautiful voice to use yet." Rossi warned.

"He's right." The doctor agreed. "We've given you something for the pain, and it will help you to rest."

"Yeah beautiful." Derek said. "Get some sleep, and we'll all still be here."

"Okay." She whispered. Her eyelids were getting very heavy and her body was starting to relax. The meds were definitely helping with the pain. With one last look at her friends, JJ let her body succumb to sleep.

"We should all go change and maybe grab some real food." Hotch suggested quietly as they headed towards the door.

"I'm staying." Morgan said simply.

"Morgan, maybe you should…" Reid started, but the elder agent cut him off.

"Forget it kid." Morgan said. "I'm staying."

"We'll bring you some food." Emily offered. "We won't be long at all."

"Thank you."

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Garcia offered.

"That's okay baby girl." He said giving her a hug. "Go then come back to me."

"Always." He said.

He watched his team walk out the door. Hotch turned around and gazed at Morgan and JJ. Nodding his head at Morgan in understanding, he gently closed the door behind him. Morgan turned his attention back to a peacefully sleeping JJ. He was relieved that she had woken up, and that the doctor had been able to take her off the ventilator. She had seemed so scared when she woke up though, and that worried him. He sat down in the chair beside her bed, but he didn't reach for her hand. He wanted her to rest peacefully now.

When she woke up he would make sure that she knew how deeply he cared for her. He was just starting to realize it himself.

_**Thanks again for reading! Now that the holidays are almost over I hope to be updating more often! Don't forget to review please! xo**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**After a long hiatus of life, work, and other various things getting in the way I'm back. I hope you'll like this chapter and stick with me on this story! Enjoy!**_

**Chapter 10**

JJ slowly opened her eyes and squinted at the sunlight that filtered in through the blinds on the window. She noticed the dull ache in her head right away. Her vision wasn't quite as blurry as it had been when she first woke up, but she found that she was still having trouble focusing. Turning her head slowly, she noticed a figure standing by the window. It was Morgan. She couldn't call out to him, as her throat seemed too dry for her voice to make a sound. She swallowed and cleared her throat some. He turned around instantly.

"JJ you're awake!" He said rushing over to her bedside.

"Derek…" She whispered.

He smiled down at the blonde and reached for her hand. He was happy to see her awake again. The look on her face told him that she was still in pain and maybe slightly disoriented. He hated seeing her this way, but he was thankful that she was alive.

"It's nice to see those blue eyes." He told her softly. "I should go get the doctor and tell the rest of the gang that you're awake."

"Derek wait…" She started. "What happened?"

He was just about to try and answer when the door to the room opened. Just then Garcia poked her head in. When she realized JJ was awake she rushed inside.

"She's up?"

"I'm up." JJ whispered, her voice raspy. She winced a little, but smiled as Garcia approached her.

"How are you feeling sweetie?" Penelope asked.

"Confused and sore."

"We should get the doctor." Derek said.

"Go ahead, and I'll stay with Jayje." Garcia said.

"I'll be right back." He said looking down at JJ before heading for the door.

Garcia reached for JJ's free hand and squeezed it. She was so happy that her friend made it through all of that, she couldn't help the tears that formed in the corner of her eye.

"Penelope don't cry." JJ said softly.

"I'm sorry Jayje, it's just that you scared me yesterday!"

"Do you know what happened to me?"

"I…" Garcia was about to respond when the doctor, followed by a nurse, then Derek and the rest of the team clambered into the room.

"Jennifer you're awake!" The doctor greeted. "You got some much needed rest these last twenty four hours."

"Let's just check you over and make sure nothing's changed."

The team held their breath as the doctor and nurse check JJ's vitals and checked the machines and IV's she was hooked up to. Once the doctor seemed satisfied he removed the stethoscope from his ears and the nurse put down her chart.

Rossi stepped forward. "He kid how are feeling?

"Pretty sore and confused."

"That's understandable." Emily said.

"You went through quite a bit." The doctor said. "You were in an accident and sustained a broken collar bone, hence the sling. You've also got a few cracked ribs."

"Nothing you can't come back from." Morgan said to her.

"What kind of accident? What happened?" she asked again.

"Jennifer what's the last thing you can recall?" asked the doctor.

JJ closed her eyes for a few seconds then opened them back up, looking down at herself and her injuries.

"I'm not sure…" She started. "I remember we had just come off a case."

"A case?" The doctor prodded.

"Right." JJ said slowly. "The Watson case, right Hotch? We flew back, and got debriefed, and then…"

She stopped and closed her eyes again, her head aching.

"It's okay Jennifer." Penelope soothed her friend.

Morgan caught the eye of his unit chief, and he nodded in understanding. The Watson case was out in California, and it had been almost a month since they worked it.

"I don't know what happened after that." JJ said.

"JJ it's okay. Your memory is going to be foggy for a little bit." Emily said.

"Yeah and you'll be back to your old self in no time." Reid chimed in. "The best thing a person can do for their brain is rest it after a trauma."

"Wonder boy is right JJ." Rossi agreed.

Morgan shifted uncomfortably, as Garcia and Prentiss fawned over a still confused JJ, trying to explain to her the events that landed her in the hospital. He was glad that she seemed to be okay physically, despite everything, but was worried that she didn't remember any of the last four weeks. He thought about the night they spent together just two days ago. It was one of the most memorable moments that he'd had in a long time, and he was lucky enough to have that moment with Jennifer Jareau. Now she didn't even remember it. Would she ever?

He was drawn back into the conversation when Hotch clapped him on the shoulder. The look in Hotch's eyes held a sense of understanding and sympathy. He knew that Morgan and JJ had made a deep connection during this case.

"So Morgan and I had been working on a case undercover?" JJ asked, trying to understand what happened.

She couldn't recall the last four weeks, but she certainly did remember that night she and Derek hooked up. Her mind briefly flashed to that time, and caught Derek's eyes as he stood near their unit chief.

"Jayje are you alright?" Garcia asked, laying a concerned hand on her friend's unslung arm.

"Yeah I think so. It's just a big blank right now."

"It'll come back to you with time JJ." Reid told his friend. "Maybe gradually, or maybe when you least expect it."

"I guess it could be worse right?" JJ quipped. "And if I understand, we kind of won?"

"Damn right we did." Rossi said.

"You guys we need to let JJ rest." Hotch said stepping up to the group. "Doctor's orders."

"We'll check in a little later with you." Emily said, before following the rest of the team out the door.

She turned around when she noticed Derek had hung back some. "I'll catch up to you guys in a minute Prentiss."

"Alright, we'll be right outside."

Morgan pulled a chair up to JJ's bed and took a seat. He could see that she was still in a weakened state, and no doubt confused about the events that had been explained to her. He didn't want to add to her confusion, but just wanted to make sure that before the team left her, before he left her, that she would be okay.

"All of this probably seems a little hard to believe huh?" He asked her.

"Yeah, if it weren't for my body being all banged up, and me not having any recollection of what happened over the last month, I wouldn't believe it."

"At least we won, and you're going to be fine."

"So you and I undercover as a couple, huh?" She asked with a smile. "How did that go for us?"

Morgan wanted to tell her how it had really gone for them, but he knew she had to get her memories back on her own. He was just happy to have her here.

"It went fine JJ. We won, remember?" He said. "So no worries."

"The only worry I have right now is getting out of here."

"Doc says it'll be a couple more days."

"Can't wait." She murmured closing her eyes. She was starting to feel her body succumb to exhaustion.

Morgan took that as a cue, and stood to go meet the team. They still had to make sure that Dan was processed properly. He had been like a cage animal since they caught him. Hearing about his wife's Chelsea's death in the river seemed to send the man over the edge.

"Get some rest Pennsylvania, and we'll be back to check on you later."

"Derek…" she called as he moved towards the door.

"What's up?"

"Thank you for what you did for me yesterday. It sounds like I owe you one."

"Don't worry, I'll collect when you're all better." He closed the door gently behind him as he left the room.

"Everything good?" Emily asked as they started down the hallway.

"It's fine Emily."

"Well we both know that's not true, so when you want to talk let me know."

"Thanks, I will."

_Later that day…_

JJ was growing restless being held up in the hospital, and apparently she still had a couple more days to go with staying. She had taken a long nap with little interruption from the staff after the team left. She had also spent some time trying to piece together the events that landed her here, but to no avail. She and Derek Morgan posing as a couple for a case. Considering what had happened between them last year, it was all a little hard to believe. Derek said that everything had been fine, and there was no weirdness or anything to worry about. She was glad for that, as they had worked hard to get the close friendship they'd had back.

She was certain things would get back to normal once she was home and had her memories back. Pushing her tray of food away with the arm not currently in a sling, she looked at the clock. She wasn't very hungry, and feeding herself given her current state of restraint had proven less than easy. Just as she was about to click on the tv, there was a soft knock and the door, and Garcia poked her head inside.

"Knock, knock sweetie." She said. "Are you decent?"

"No not really, but come in anyway."

She opened the door all the way and walked in, followed by Morgan and Emily. She was glad her friends had come to rescue her from inevitable boredom.

"Where are Spence, Hotch, and Rossi?" JJ asked.

"They're to wrap up all the reports that need done at Straus' request." Emily said as they all pulled up chairs around JJ's hospital bed.

"Don't you mean Straus' orders?" JJ and Derek said at the same time.

They all laughed, and JJ winced as a pain shot through her ribs, and Garcia grasped her friend's hand. "Are you okay Jayje!?"

"I can go get the doctor." Derek offered.

"I'll be fine guys." She assured them. "Really."

"Are you sure?" Emily was concerned.

"I'm sure. It's nice to have some company. I know you guys were just here this morning, but I'm already starting to go a little stir crazy."

"No worries, love." Garcia said with a twinkle in here eye. "We'll be here whenever you need us."

"And when you go home, we'll help out there too."

"Thanks guys. I appreciate that."

"It's all good JJ." Derek emphasized. "We've got your back, you know that."

"I know you do."

After a brief silence, Emily was the first to speak up. "So have you started to remember any of the last few weeks?"

"No. The doctor says it could come back at any time though."

Derek cleared his throat, starting to cough, and the ladies all turned their attention to him. Flashes of his night with JJ both last year and two days ago flashed through his mind, and he hoped they couldn't see the blush that he felt creep up into his cheeks.

"You okay there Derek?" Emily asked smiling at him.

"I'm fine, just need to grab some water." He reached for the pitcher of water and a cup from the nightstand beside JJ's bed. "You mind?"

"Help yourself." JJ said.

Derek poured himself a cup of water and took a long sip. He listened while the ladies went on about taking JJ to the spa when she was ready, and how they would never let her go undercover again. _As if they had any control over that, he thought._ He was brought out of his thoughts when they all heard a rather assertive knock at the door.

"Enter!" Garcia said, speaking for the room's resident.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I just came to check on a very special patient I heard was here."

JJ's head snapped up at the unmistakable southern drawl.

"Will what are you doing here?" JJ exclaimed.

Everyone's eyes, especially Derek's widened as the young detective made his way into the room and next to JJ's hospital bed. He carried a large vase full of flowers, and leaned in to kiss JJ on the cheek, and they all stood watching. Speechless.

"You guys remember Detective Will Lamontagne Jr. from the Ripper case in New Orleans, right?"

_What in the hell in going on here? , Derek thought…_ As if things weren't complicated enough. Things were definitely about to get interesting. He just hoped that interesting didn't mean worse. I guess they would all find out soon enough.

_**Thanks for wanting more of this story guys. I officially have more time to write now, so it's on! Please don't forget to leave a review. xo**_


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